Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha

A versatile genius, a dynamic leader of the scientific community and an ardent patriot, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha (30 October 1909 – 24 January 1966). After studying at Bombay, he joined Goville and Caius College, Cambridge, and took his Ph. D. dgree from there. He had a brilliant academic record, securing his Honours Dgree with a First Class in Mechanical Science as well as in Mathematics. He won the Rouse Ball Travelling Studentship in Mathematics. For his original contribution to Physics in cosmic radiation, the theory of elementary particles and the quantum theory, Bhabha was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society at the extrordinary early age of thirty one.

He won the Adams Prize and the Hopkins Prize, was elected President of the Indian Science Congress in 1951, awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954, and elected honorary Fellow of his own College at Cambridge and of a number of Academies of Arts and Sciences all over the world.

Homi Jahangir Bhabha, FRS was an Indian nuclear physicist, founding director, and professor of physics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Colloquially known as "father of Indian nuclear programme", Bhabha was the founding director of two well-known research institutions, namely the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and the Trombay Atomic Energy Establishment (now named after him); both sites were the cornerstone of Indian development of nuclear weapons which Bhabha also supervised as its director.

He died when Air India Flight 101 crashed near Mont Blanc on 24 January 1966. Many possible theories have been advanced for the air crash, including a conspiracy theory in which Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is involved in order to paralyze India's nuclear program.