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Homi Bhabha Scientist, innovator and organizer—by PK Iyengar

by RY Deshpande on Fri 20 Feb 2009 03:41 AM IST | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Homi Jehangir Bhabha (1909-1966) was an outstanding scientist, innovator, and organiser of science. In this birth centenary year, let me recall my association with him, and his influence that led me to devote a lifetime to the field of atomic energy.

I was very young when I joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in 1952, and was not in Bhabha’s close circle. But the TIFR was small then, and we could interact with the Director during his weekly visits, at tea before a weekly colloquium, and during lectures by visiting scientists. The atmosphere he created, of high scientific standards and open discussions, evoked a desire to do creative science in competition with the rest of the world.

Bhabha studied at Cambridge University in England, where he was exposed to research by outstanding physicists on the structure and properties of nature. These included not just theoretical investigations but high-quality experimental work at the Cavendish Laboratory. All this made a deep impression on him, and he decided to pursue research in this field.

Backbone of creativity

Bhabha’s belief that fundamental research is the stepping stone to success in science and technology (S&T) is reflected even in his choice of the name of the institute he created. He believed, and experienced in his life, that fundamental research is the backbone of creativity. Rational thinking helps find solutions to old problems through new methods. One therefore has to constantly emphasise basic science in all disciplines, irrespective of whether the objective is atomic energy or fundamental particles. He nucleated two strong groups, one in radio astronomy and the other in molecular biology. He was not averse to supporting fundamental research, irrespective of the discipline.

While his roots were in pure science, his thoughts turned to developing S&T in independent India, especially in the emerging area of nuclear physics. He saw that it could have a fundamental role to play in India’s development through nuclear power. He had the credentials to undertake the task, but it was also India’s great fortune to have in Jawaharlal Nehru a Prime Minister who believed it was only through S&T that one could bring about social and economic change. Nehru and Bhabha had an excellent rapport, which helped enormously in science and technology growing in India.

Bhabha was elected president of the First United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in 1955. There he predicted the unavoidable result of the spread of nuclear technology when many nations acquire the capability to make nuclear weapons. He warned the advanced nations to restrain themselves at that stage to prevent nuclear weapon proliferation. Due to the Cold War these words fell on deaf ears, and a discriminatory Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) came into being.

At the TIFR in the early years, he made experimental science respectable and necessary. He set up a production unit to make electronic instruments in support of basic research and applications. He created the Technical Physics Division, the Electronics Division, and Health and Safety groups related to the use of radiation, all in preparation for a robust, self-confident and self-reliant programme in atomic energy. Indeed, it has flourished through the expansion of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and other centres. If internationally India is now recognised as an advanced nation in nuclear science and technology, the credit goes to Bhabha, and his influence on his successors. In the applications of science, he recognised the importance of instrumentation. He went to the extent of taking over the Cancer Research Centre, in order that medical research on cancer could find its appropriate methodology.

My closest interaction with him was during a two-week trip to Canada and the U.S. in 1957 to attend an international conference at Columbia University, and visit national laboratories. He was ever friendly, with advice and suggestions to visit the Art Gallery or the science museum in Chicago. He agreed to visit with me the laboratories of my interest, that is, neutron scattering. We even bargained a few single crystals from Bell Labs, normally denied to others. Such was the respect he commanded that two months later I received a packet containing large single crystals of Ge and Si. At the conference, he introduced me to distinguished scientists from the Manhattan Project. He was quick to recognise merit and leadership qualities. He appointed me Head of the Nuclear Physics Division in 1965 at the age of 34.

He responded quickly to official requests for working space, manpower, financial resources and so on. Disposal of papers was direct. The way the Trombay Scientific Committee functioned with him as chairman, spoke eloquently of his democratic and effective management of S&T.

Horse sense

While being a basic physicist, he was also an architect, painter, engineer and anything that you can think of for the advance of civilisation. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), he believed, should be the cradle of modern science and technology. He nucleated, supported and multiplied programmes relevant to India’s development. He had a horse sense of what is important, and how economics alone should not decide future programmes. Believing that a self-reliant nuclear programme can be based only on indigenous resources, he formulated the three-phase programme: natural uranium, plutonium, and then thorium. Compare this to the present push to make India dependent on imported fuel for future reactors. If Bhabha were alive, he would have stopped the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, with objections based on fundamental issues of policy and philosophy.

In the mid-1950s, Bhabha realised that he had to expand research and development in applied areas such as chemical engineering, nuclear metallurgy and reprocessing. He recognised that the rate of addition to the staff cannot depend on the vagaries of availability of expertise from educational institutions. He recognised that pilot plant studies are important to develop industrial processes. He therefore embarked on a process of inducting, by careful selection, the best graduates into one-year course work followed by hands-on experience in the laboratories. This training school was started in 1957. It continues to create excellent manpower tuned to the requirements of atomic energy. Its graduates have reached the senior-most positions in the organisation.

Science management

Bhabha will also be remembered for his innovations in science management. He modified the administrative practices of a colonial form of government, in which most of the power rested with the officialdom. He utilised the help of retired ICS officers, and borrowed officers of the IAS cadre to help him deal with the government. But the final say was his. There are several instances of how he overruled suggestions and markings of those from the pure administrative service.

Often in my career, when problems arose, I would ask myself what Bhabha would have done under the circumstances. One of the toughest was in 1990, when Prime Minister VP Singh decided to implement the Mandal Commission recommendations. The DAE had enjoyed exemption from reservation in its recruitment and promotion policies, to support merit and excellence and to make sure that the personnel would have the highest standards. However, the government order directed that all departments implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission. I took up the matter with the Prime Minister. I started off by saying that I was asking for a waiver to which he may have strong reservations. I explained that in the interests of what we have built-up at BARC, and to preserve standards, it is necessary to get a waiver. After 20 minutes of discussion, he agreed, and signed the file exempting the Department. If I had not drawn moral strength from the principles of Bhabha, I would not have attempted to do this.

Bhabha was aware of social needs. Keeping scientists happy by supporting academic work alone is not sufficient to retain, encourage and preserve experts. So, from the beginning he put emphasis on housing, educational facilities, transport facilities and so on. The planning of the Anushaktinagar complex, the Kalpakkam complex, and the housing units of several organisations under DAE, is a reflection of this. The Contributory Health Service scheme is another area where the DAE is unique: even after retirement, the scientists and officers enjoy modern medical facilities.

The Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education is another example of how basic scientists could expand their creative talent to areas of social concern. This part of the social responsibility was unique in Bhabha. In this respect he was not only a scientific administrator but also a social reformer and a diplomat.

Dr PK Iyengar is a former Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/14/stories/2009021455441100.htm

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Re: Homi Bhabha -- Personal Recollection by P Vijendran

by RY Deshpande on Mon 07 Dec 2009 07:43 PM IST | Profile | Permanent Link

Homi Bhabha—a Personal Recollection by P Vijendran
Here is a brief account of my association with Tatas. After graduating in 1957 I went for an interview at Tata Insitute of Fundamental Research in Bombay. It was three tier interview, the final one being with Dr Bhabha and a few of the senior staff of TIFR. Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha was the Director of the insitute and he was a world-renowned Cosmic Ray physicist. He was a Tata Scholar—a scholarship set up by the House of Tatas during Jamshedji Tata's times to encourage bright Indian science students to go abroad for further learning. Later in 1987 my daughter also happened to be awarded a Tata scholarship to study in US.

I joined TIFR as a Research Assistant and was with Prof MGK Menon. At some point I felt like taking a change of subject and approached Dr Bhabha. He straightaway said that I am free to go around all the groups and meet people and then select where I would like to work. That was indeed gracious of him.

Later that year I became the social secretary and in that capacity organized various events for the staff and family members of TIFR. Once I organized a picnic for which I requested the use of the TIFR bus from the Registrar. After the trip, I got a bill from the Accounts asking for payment of the bill for using the bus, which was not made clear earlier when I made the request for the bus. So, before deciding to ask the members for their share to pay the bill, I met Dr Bhabha and showed him the file. He just had a quick glance at it and then said: “What is this? How can the Institute charge its own staff for utilising one of its facilities?” Then wrote across the file: “From now on the Institute facilities including the transport should be made available to Institute staff without any charge.”

He was not only a great scientist but also an art and music connoisseur. When I went to him with a modest plan for the Annual get-together of the Institute, he said that instead, it should be a grand musical event since it is once a year event for the staff of the Institute. We had a grand veena recital by a leading artist that evening.

Most importantly, he broke away from the old British style of addressing your superiors as 'Sir'. He insisted that everyone is called by his name and the door of his room at the Institute will never be closed, but always partly open—so that anyone could knock and enter. There was also an incident involving a retired ICS officer who was the Controller of the Institute. Once, many of us, all new entrants, were sitting in the Library and this gentleman Mr Allardice walked by in the morning. The library staff stood up and greeted him and then he looked around and found some of us sitting at our table. He strode across to us and said: “I am your Controller and you should greet me when you see me in the morning.” Many of us stood up and greeted him. Later, one of us mentioned this to Dr Bhabha and said that we are sorry for the lapse. He broke with a thunderous laughter and said: “what nonsense?” Here no one stands up for anyone.

That spirit of independence I carried with me as lifetime mantra and wherever I later worked including Bhabah Atomic Research Centre and elsewhere I followed that advice.

Another very impressive trait of Dr Bhabha was revealed while he once visited the Atomic Energy site at Trombay in the early days. He had forgotten his identity badge and the watchman at the gate refused to let him in. Dr Bhabha quietly walked away. Next day he called the Chief Security Officer to his room and asked for that watchman who was serving in the night shift the previous evening. The CSO was little scared as the watchman had already reported to him that he had stopped Dr Bhabha at the gate the previous night, even though he knew that it was Dr Bhabha. When the watchman came into the room, Dr Bhabha shook his hands and told him that he had done his duty well and he is proud of such employees.

What do you think would have happened in today's India?

All this I am relating, because the whole Tata family had such a moral value that it spread to every one of its units, whether in industry or research/teaching. The Tata scholarship was started since those days it was financially very difficult for the bright science/engineering students to attain higher education abroad. Just as he started the steel mills at Jamshedpur or the Taj Hotel in Mumbai to prove to the British that in India, Indians have a right to do what they want, both IISc and TIFR also tell the same story. Same holds for the airline industry. The Air India started and run by Tatas so well has fallen into such trouble today, thanks to the politicians in Delhi.

Let us at least be proud that still some old true national pride and spirit survives, thanks to the House of Tatas.

Vijendran

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