Homi Jehangir Bhabha was born on 30th October 1909 in a  distinguished Parshi family. His grandfather H.Jehangir Bhabha was a very learned educationist. His father J.H.  Bhabha was a famous barrister at the Bombay High Court. Homi’s mother Meherbai Bhabha was an educated lady who brought up him with great tenderness. Homi was also a nephew of Sir Dorabji Tata-the proprietor of Tata Group of Companies.

Bhabha was a versatile genius. Science was his goal, mathematics his natural choice, music his mental food and painting his hobby. It would, therefore, not be an exaggeration to call him the ‘Leonardo Da Vinci of Modern Times’. His qualities were an unprecedented amalgamation of sharp intellect, unflinching concentration and diligence.

Homi was a very intelligent and hard working student. He started his school education from the prestigious Cathedral and John Cannon Schools of Bombay. He was keenly interested in music in his childhood. Bhabha loved nature and this ignited in him a desire  to paint. At the tender age of eight he painted the picture of a cow and a calf in the back yard of his home, which won the hearts of his parents and the neighbours. He also painted a wonderful portrait of his mother. His parents recognized his talents and sent  to Lal Kaka, a renowned painter and master judge who gladly accepted him as his disciple. Bhabha learnt all the basics of panting within a  short span of time.

Later Bhabha joined the Elphinston College and Royal Institute of Science, both in Bombay where his name still shines in the roll of honours. After completing his school education, he went to Cambridge, England and in 1931 he did his M.Sc. from the Cambridge University topping the list of the successful candidates. At Cambridge, Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac, then Lucasian Professor of Mathematics taught Bhabha. Bhabha joined the Cavendish Laboratory, from where he obtained his Ph.D in ‘Theoretical Physics’. He was awarded the Salomons Studentship in Engineering during 1931-1932. During 1932 to 1934 he was the Rouse Ball Travelling Studentship in Mathematics.

Bhabha had a great fascination for his country. After completing his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics, he returned to India in 1941 and was appointed as Reader at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He continued with his research on cosmic rays and conducted many successful experiments. In 1945, he became Professor of Theoretical Physics and Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bombay. So even before India became an independent nation, Bhabha dreamed regarding India’s nuclear future. Because of his outstanding research in the field of nuclear physics he attracted the attention of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India.

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) came into existence in 1948. Bhabha, a man of extraordinary foresight was entrusted with the prestigious Chairmanship. On April 26, 1948, in a brief note to Pandit Nehru he highlighted the need to take more energetic measures to develop the field of atomic energy and “appropriate large sums” for the purpose. One will appreciate Dr. Bhabha’s vision more when one realizes that at this time there were no nuclear power reactor in the world! USA itself set up the first commercial nuclear power reactor nearly nine years later.

He was named Secretary (1954) of the atomic energy department. His plans to survey for indigenous uranium and construction of plants for uranium purification were started in right earnest. On July 11, 1954, Dr. Bhabha summarized his vision of atomic energy for nation and sent the note to Pandit Nehru. He listed 13 items such as setting up a Atomic Energy Establishment at Trombay, prospecting and processing of uranium, constructing plants to produce heavy water and beryllium, erecting facilities such as a uranium enrichment plant, atomic power plants, breeder reactors and plutonium extraction plant.

The axiom ‘Swadesh Pujyate Raja, Vidyan Sarvatra Pujyate’ (Rulers are respected in their own countries whereas scholars are respected allover) holds true for Dr. Bhabha. He was internationally respected and received a number of awards in India and abroad. He received Adams Prize in 1937 and at age thirty-one was elected Fellow of royal Society, London. In 1948 he was honoured with Hopkins prize. He was conferred honorary D.Sc. Degree by Patna University (1949), Lucknow University (1949), BHU (1950), Agra University (1952), Perth University (Australia, 1954), Cambridge University (1959) and by Pahova University, Italy 1961. He was elected a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1957. In 1959, he was appointed as a member of  US Academy of Arts Science. The next year he was made President of international Union of Pure and Applied Physics. In 1963 he was elected as an associate member of the US National Academy of Science and the New York Academy of Science. The nation honored him with the Padma Bhusan in 1954 and by renaming the atomic energy establishment at Trombay as Bhaba Atomic Research Centre popularly referred to as BARC.                                  Homi Jehangir Bhaba died on January 24, 1966 in a plane accident while he was traveling to Vienna to attend the Scientific Advisory Committee of the International Atomic Energy. The whole world mourned for this tragic death. India lost a great scientist of the twentieth century.