By Apeejay School, Mumbai

Saloni Chowdhuri
Nikita Pant

The Father of India’s Atomic Energy Programme, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha

In the 1930’s, when scientists were trying to tap energy from the atom for destructive purposes, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha was thinking of its peaceful uses. Bhabha had a vision that India would enter a new era of development through modern science and technology. His aim was to further the cause of science and improve human knowledge and lead the country to social and economic prosperity. Bhabha initiated India’s Atomic Energy Programme and almost single handedly moulded and guided its destiny.
Bhabha was born in a wealthy Parsi family in Mumbai. After his graduation, he went to Cambridge University for further studies. Tutored by the likes of Paul Dirac, Bhabha did commendable work on cosmic rays and identified a nuclear particle in electrons which he called “Meson”.
After his return to India in 1940, young Bhabha started a research unit of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in the house where he was born, but his huge bungalow could not contain him for long. After Independence, his ideals gained more significance and with the encouragement of the then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian Atomic Energy Commision was set up. As its first chairman, Bhabha master-minded a three stage plan for Atomic Energy, using India’s natural resources and available talents. Under his expert guidance, the Atomic Energy Establishment began functioning and research in nuclear energy gathered momentum in the country. Three atomic reactors, Apsara, Cirus and Zerline were carried out and plants to purify the required materials were also built.
Bhabha also encouraged research in Electronics, Space Science, Radio Astronomy and Microbiology. The radio telescope at Ugadamandalam (Ooty) is one of his creation. The construction of India’s first Atomic Power Station at Tarapur, near Mumbai, was started by him. Unfortunately, he died in a plane crash on his way to attend the Atom for Peace conference in 1966. The nation mourned his sudden death. As a tribute to his memory, the Atomic Establishment was renamed the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
He said : “No country, which wishes to play a leading part in the world, can neglect pure or long-term research”.

Akshat Sood
Debanjana Shrivastava
Nikita Pant
Noora Pathan
Saloni Chowdhuri
Shraman Biswas
Utkarsh Deshmukh

The Scientist Dr. C.V. Raman

Chandrashekhar Venkata Raman was born on 7 November 1888. He was born in Tiruvanaikavval near Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu. He was born in a middle class family. As his father had a library of his own, he spent most of his time reading and skipped his school. In 1894, he took the most popular science book of 19th century which was Ganot’s Physics and conducted science experiments. He won many scholarships and prizes in school examination. He passed his diploma from a school in Tiruchirapalli. At that time, British ruled India and young boys were sent to England for higher studies, but seeing the health of Dr. C.V. Raman, the Tiruchirapalli court decided that he would do his higher studies in India. He went to Calcutta and stood 1st in bachelor degree examination in 1904. He won gold medals for English and Physics. When he got married, his wife’s age was 13 only and her name was Loksundari. He did master’s course from Presidency College in Calcutta. He passed in his examination with good marks. He opened an institute called Raman Research Institute in Bangalore. He became a lecturer and taught Physics. He did not have more interest in teaching and had interest in conducting experiments. He used the book of a famous German scientist, Hermann von Helmohotz, “The Sensation of Tone” to conduct experiments. He did a master degree and topped in the examination. By the time, he had won prizes and became a famous Indian scientist.
He conducted more experiments with some of his seniors in U.S.A at American Institute of Physics. He once told his friend : “This is a very small achievement. If I am a good scientist, I should win a Noble Prize”. He did more experiments and invented molecular scattering of light, which was called as “Raman Effect” because of which he won a Noble Prize in Stockholm, Sweden. Once in 1970, when he was conducting an experiment he got a heart attack. He did a lot of work in the field of Physics and his death was mourned all over.