A commemorative postage stamp on Homi J. Bhabha, father of Indian nuclear programme, founding director of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), chairman of Indian Atomic Energy Commission :

Issued by India

Issued on Aug 4, 1966

Issued for : Prime architect of India‘s atomic and space research programme, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha, passed away on 24^th January 1966 in a tragic accident. The Posts and Telegraphs Department feels privileged in bringing out a special postage stamp in his memory on August 4, 1966, the anniversary of the day on which the atomic reactor Apsara went ‘critical’.

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Plum

Denomination : 15 Paise 

Overall Size : 4.06 X 2.41 cms.

Printing Size : 3.70 X 2.05 cms.

Perforation : 14 x 14½

Watermark : Printed on unwatermarked paper

Number Printed : 20,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 45

Printing Process : Photogravure

Designed and Printed at : India Security Press

Name : Homi Jahangir Bhabha

Born on Oct 30, 1909 at Mumbai, India

Died on Jan 24, 1966 at Mont Blanc, Alps

About : 

• A versatile genius, a dynamic leader of the scientific community and an ardent patriot, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha was born in 1909. After studying at Bombay, he joined Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and took his B.A. and later, his Ph.D. degree from there. He had a brilliant academic record, securing his Honours Degree 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 extraordinarily 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.
• Through his initiative was founded in 1945 the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, of which he was the first Director. From 1948, he was the Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission; in 1954 he was appointed Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Atomic Energy; and in 1957 he became the Director of the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay, which the Government of India has re-named in his honour the BHABHA ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE.
• Dr. Bhabha not only made an outstanding contribution, which brought him world-wide recognition, to research in the new and exciting field of nuclear physics; he was also an accomplished artist and musician, a brilliant administrator who dedicated himself to the cause of a developing country taking its place among the fully developed nations of the world by attaining prosperity through the development of its science and technology. He was, indeed, responsible for India‘s attaining the status of being one of the six leading countries in the field of atomic energy. The dream, for the fulfilment of which he devoted his entire life and energy, was to project the image of India as one of the leading, scientifically and technologically advanced countries of the world.
• His zeal and untiring efforts towards the attainment of this goal was a continuing source of inspiration to the young band of devoted scientists who embarked under his dynamic leadership on the thrilling adventure of atomic energy research, which holds great promise for mankind, if developed for peaceful uses – a cause ever close to his heart. He was responsible in a large measure for the great increase in the scientific efforts in the world towards the application of atomic energy to peaceful purposes, for his voice was heard with respect not only in India, but all over the world.

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