New Delhi, August 11: Today marks the birth anniversary of Vikram Sarabhai, an eminent Indian physicist and the father of the country’s space program. Born on August 12, 1919, in Ahmedabad to a distinguished industrialist, Ambalal Sarabhai, he showed an early interest in science. Sarabhai was instrumental in highlighting the need for space research in India and made significant contributions to the development of atomic energy.
Sarabhai served as the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. His passion for mathematics and science was evident from a young age. After returning from Cambridge University, he established the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad at the age of 28. He worked there from 1966 to 1971 and played a crucial role in founding the Indian Institute of Management (IIM Ahmedabad).
Before attending Cambridge, Sarabhai studied in Gujarat. During World War II, in 1942, he had to return to India, where he conducted research on cosmic rays. Under the guidance of the renowned scientist Chandrasekhar Venkataraman, he pursued this research and later returned to Cambridge University to complete his doctorate, writing a thesis on cosmic rays. In 1947, he returned to India and established the Physical Research Laboratory.
In 1962, Vikram Sarabhai founded the Indian National Committee for Space Research, which was later renamed ISRO. Following the death of scientist Homi J. Bhabha in 1966, Sarabhai was appointed as the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, where he continued to advance Bhabha’s vision.
Sarabhai was a key figure in establishing several institutions, including the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, the Community Science Centre (Ahmedabad), the Darpan Academy for Performing Arts (Ahmedabad), and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (Thiruvananthapuram).
He received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 1962 and the Padma Bhushan in 1966. Sarabhai passed away on December 30, 1971, in Kovalam, Kerala, and was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1972.
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