Homi Bhabha and his legacies with specific reference to nuclear and high-energy physics research in independent India

Homi J. Bhabha occupies a unique place in the history of India – an outstanding scientist, an institution builder and a visionary. He recognized early the immense potential of nuclear technologies for the public good and went on to establish infrastructure and a robust human resource pipeline, not only to support nuclear physics research but also to develop and deploy nuclear technologies for both power and non-power applications in the country. It is an irony of fate that we lost him in an air crash too early in his life and too early in the history of independent India. It is heartening to note that despite this tragic event, the country has moved forward along the course charted by Bhabha and enters the 21st century with confidence and with an aspiration to become part of the developed world, not only scientifically and technologically but also economically and socially. In this article, we share some glimpses of India’s journey in nuclear physics research since independence