Homi J. Bhabha

<p>Homi Jehangir Bhabha, <a href="/facts/Indian_National_Science_Academy/SztzrCKk">FNI</a>, <a href="/facts/Indian_Academy_of_Sciences/aapAn8n9">FASc</a>, <a href="/facts/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society/cWs8TdC5">FRS</a>(30 October 1909 – 24 January 1966) was an Indian <a href="/facts/Nuclear_physics/fzQbt1aF">nuclear physicist</a> who is widely credited as the "father of the <a href="/facts/Indian_nuclear_programme/IcG8vgjd">Indian nuclear programme</a>". He was the founding director and professor of physics at the <a href="/facts/Tata_Institute_of_Fundamental_Research/Xetanlpg">Tata Institute of Fundamental Research</a> (TIFR), as well as the founding director of the Atomic Energy Establishment, <a href="/facts/Trombay/7C2fvsaE">Trombay</a> (AEET) which was renamed the <a href="/facts/Bhabha_Atomic_Research_Centre/kScoRKHu">Bhabha Atomic Research Centre</a> in his honour. TIFR and AEET served as the cornerstone to the Indian nuclear energy and weapons programme. He was the first chairman of the Indian <a href="/facts/Atomic_Energy_Commission_of_India/CFR78H8T">Atomic Energy Commission</a> (AEC) and secretary of the <a href="/facts/Department_of_Atomic_Energy/TcjRsp9g">Department of Atomic Energy</a> (DAE). By supporting space science projects which initially derived their funding from the AEC, he played an important role in the birth of the <a href="/facts/Indian_Space_Research_Organisation/CdAoFQTL">Indian space programme</a>.
</p><p>Bhabha was awarded the <a href="/facts/Adams_Prize/JwCcxp5h">Adams Prize</a> (1942) and <a href="/facts/Padma_Bhushan/0LSGnLMP">Padma Bhushan</a> (1954), and nominated for the <a href="/facts/Nobel_Prize_in_Physics/o6w1nCbr">Nobel Prize for Physics</a> in 1951 and 1953–1956. He died in the crash of <a href="/facts/Air_India_Flight_101/Nl4K3PGY">Air India Flight 101</a> in 1966, at the age of 56. The mysterious circumstances of his death has led to the rise of several conspiracy theories claiming he was assassinated.
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Homi J. Bhabha open-in-new

Homi J. Bhabha