New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: January 24 marks the death anniversary of Homi Jehangir Bhabha, a nuclear scientist who is colloquially known as the father of the Indian nuclear program. Bhabha was the founding director of two prestigious Indian institutions: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, both located in Mumbai. Bhabha was the recipient of Padma Bhushan and was nominated for Nobel Prize in Physics on five occasions. On the occasion of his 112th death anniversary, let us look at some lesser-known facts about him.
His family wanted him to pursue mechanical engineering
Bhabha's family wanted him to obtain a degree in mechanical engineering so that he could join Tata Steel Mills in Jamshedpur as metallurgist upon his return to India.
Forced to stay in India after 1939 due to World War II
Bhabha had returned to India on a brief holiday in 1939, though extended his stay after World War II broke out in Europe. In his initial years in the country, he first served as a reader in the Department of Physics of the Indian Institute of Science, which was then headed by CV Raman, and later established TIFR with JRD Tata.
Worked alongside Neils Bohr in Copenhagen
Five years prior to his return to India, Bhabha worked alongside Neils Bohr -- one of the greatest physicists -- in Copenhagen.
Died in 1966 Air India crash
India lost its greatest nuclear scientist in a plane crash in 1966. The cause of his death has been subject to several conspiracies, for he said just six months prior to the plane crash that India could build an atomic bomb in 18 months.
He was an artist and a classical music enthusiast
Not just academic, Bhabha possessed artistic gifts of highest order. He developed interest in painting prior to returning to India and was also a classical music and opera enthusiast.