GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 24th Jan. January 24th holds immense importance in both national and global history for several compelling reasons. This particular date shook the entire nation, leaving a profound impact. On January 24, 1966, the news of Homi Jahangir Bhabha’s demise, the visionary behind Bharat’s nuclear program, spread like wildfire. The nation mourned the loss of this great scientist, who tragically perished in an aircraft crash.
Bhabha was born in Bombay on October 30, 1909, into a prosperous Parsi family. Bhabha was a multifaceted talent in addition to a scientist. Due to Bhabha’s unique personality, Nobel laureate CV Raman once referred to him as “Bharat’s Leonardo da Vinci.” This Air India aircraft was traveling to New York from Mumbai. It crashed in the European Alps mountain range before it could reach America. Homi Jahangir Bhabha was among the 117 victims of this disaster who died. There is a claim that Homi Jahangir Bhabha’s killing was orchestrated by the US intelligence agency. Homi Bhabha’s demise was staged in order to thwart Bharat’s nuclear energy strategy. 42 years after the event, in his book Conversation with the Crow, international journalist Gregory Douglas made this assertion. The book was published in 2008.
The world’s leading nations were stunned by an announcement made by Bhabha three months prior to the jet accident. Bhabha had declared on All India Radio that he could show the creation of an atomic bomb in eighteen months if he was granted the exemption. Bhabha frequently discussed the advancement of nuclear energy in the areas of energy, agriculture, medicine, and national security. It is thought that Bharat may have made significant advancements in nuclear physics far sooner if his plane hadn’t crashed.
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of Bharat, was close to Homi Bhabha. And he was one of the few people on the planet to be referred to as a brother. From 1950 until 1966, Bhabha served as the Atomic Energy Commission’s chairman. He had previously served as the Secretary of the Government of Bharat. Bhabha, who valued simplicity, is rumoured to have never let his peon handle his briefcase.
Bhabha was always discussing the use of nuclear energy to the sectors of energy, medicine, agriculture, and national security. According to some, Bharat may have made significant progress in nuclear physics far sooner if his jet hadn’t crashed.
Bhabha has the greatest caliber of sensitive, skilled artistic abilities. His upbringing undoubtedly contributed to the development of all these admirable traits in him. He liked dancing and listening to music. He was well-versed in both western and Bharatiya music. He drew and painted. He created the scenery for plays and musicals. He was a really talented architect. Bhabha was a stickler for detail. He genuinely loved trees, and he used all of his abilities to keep them safe.
Contribution to the Nuclear Program of Bharat
Dr. Homi Bhabha was instrumental in setting the groundwork and directing Bharat’s nuclear aspirations.
The following is a list of his principal accomplishments.
Three-Phase Nuclear Energy Scheme
Bhabha put out a brilliant three-phase nuclear power plan to make use of Bharat’s enormous thorium reserves to use a sequence of reactors, beginning with pressurized heavy water reactors, to extract energy from thorium. He created thorium-based reactors and rapid breeder reactors.
APSARA: Bharat’s inaugural research reactor
He outlined a plan for building nuclear reactors for both research and power production. At the TIFR, it was designed by indigenous people. Bhabha made sure that, for some parts, cooperation with foreign organizations was guaranteed. For example, the first fuel used in APSARA came from the United Kingdom. With a 1 MWt (megawatt thermal) capacity, APSARA was a pool-type reactor. Radiography, material testing, and nuclear physics research were its main uses. In the early phases of Bharat’s nuclear program, it was essential for teaching nuclear scientists and engineers.
The 1948 Atomic Energy Act
In 1948, Dr. Bhabha was a key contributor to the formulation of the Atomic Energy Act. The Act achieved a balance between advancing research and guaranteeing safety thanks to Dr. Bhabha’s assistance. By enacting the act, he underscored how crucial it was for Bharat to maintain control over its atomic programme and make sure that unwanted outside influence or meddling did not interfere with it.
Electronics and Space
In the early stages of Bharat’s space program, Bhabha was a key player. In 1961, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was given charge of the Space Programme under his direction. He emphasized that space research is crucial to Bharat’s technical progress and cautioned against relying too much on foreign expertise.
He compared the initial phase of space exploration in Bharat to the phase of atomic energy development ten years earlier. He played a key role in the formation of the Indian National Committee for Space Research, which is headed by Vikram Sarabhai.
He started the process of establishing the Indian Space Science and Technology Center. Bhabha emphasized the necessity for domestic development in nuclear electronics, computers, and control systems while acknowledging the connection between atomic energy and electronics. In 1963, Bhabha became the chairman of the Electronics Committee, which was founded based on his proposals. He emphasized that electronics is an important area of contemporary technology that extends beyond the entertainment sector. Aiming for Bharat’s electronic self-sufficiency, the Electronics Committee’s report was completed in 1965.
Homi Jehangir Bhabha is mostly known as the chief architect of Bharat’s nuclear programme. But his contribution to the development of Bharat extends well beyond the realm of atomic energy.
