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It has been more than
50 years since Sarabhai died, and his work still reaps rich dividends for
India.
Sarabhai was born in the famous Sarabhai family on
August 12, 1919, and was a pioneer in our county’s space program. It came when a developing nation like ours couldn’t fund the space program.
The world’s superpowers used space technology for military purposes in the
early 1960s. However, it was Vikram Sarabhai, who thought that India should have its own space program. He envisioned its massive benefits.
He understood the connection of space science with economic and social development activities, such as weather forecasting, communication, and natural resources exploration.
He convinced
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru regarding the space program’s importance in an emerging nation like India.
Remembering Vikram Sarabhai: The father of ISRO
Father of Indian space programme
On 30 December 2018 India pays homage to Vikram Sarabhai or Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai, a rare combination of a scientist, an innovator, industrialist and a visionary, on his death anniversary.
He was known as the father of the Indian space programme. Born on August 12, 1919, he passed the intermediate Science examination from the Gujarat College in Ahmedabad and went to England for further studies.
He enrolled at the St. John’s College, University of Cambridge from where he received the Tripos in Natural Sciences in 1940. After coming back to India, he joined the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.
The journey
Vikram Sarabhai wanted to conduct research on cosmic rays, which was something he undertook on the advice of the eminent scientist C.V. Raman. His first scientific paper ‘Time Distribution of Cosmic Rays’ was published in 1942.
In 1942, he married celebrated classical dancer Mrinalini. The couple had two children. His daughter Mallika and son Karthikeya too became famous personalities.
(In pic: A wedding picture of Vikram Sarabhai and Mrinalini Sarabhai in Ahmedabad)
First milestone
Vikram Sarabhai returned to Cambridge in 1945 to further his research on cosmic rays and earned his PhD for his thesis ‘Cosmic ray investigations in tropical latitudes’.
One of his first milestones was establishing the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad on November 11, 1947. He was only 28 at that time. Sarabhai served for PRL from 1966-1971.
Hat full of feathers
Vikram Sarabhai also served as a Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. Along with other Ahmedabad-based industrialists, he played a major role in ..
The year 1957-1958 was designated as International Geo-physical year (IGY). The Indian programme for the IGY had been one of the most significant ventures of Sarabhai. This gave him exposure to new vistas of space science with the launching of Sputnik-I in 1957. Subsequently, the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was formed, under his chairmanship.
(In pic: Vikram Sarabhai with Kamla Chowdhry)
The child called ISRO
Vikram Sarabhai founded the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) which eventually became the largest government space agency in the world. He convinced the government of the importance of a space programme after the Russian Sputnik launch.
Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha, widely regarded as the father of India’s nuclear science program, supported Dr. Sarabhai in setting up the first rocket launching station in India. This centre was established at Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram.
Sarabhai’s legacy includes establishment of India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and harnessing space technology for national development.
He had also set up other institutions in our country, such as the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad; the Variable Energy Cyclotron Project, Kolkata, and the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.
Sarabhai is also credited for establishing India’s nuclear power plant and laying the foundations for developing nuclear technology for defence.
You might now know that Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA) was the first textile research cooperative in India and was set up by Vikram Sarabhai.
Sarabhai’s contribution is in various activities and shows his diverse talents and interests. It also shows his sound approach in using scientific methods for developing the country. He was nationalist, and his work shows the same.
Vikram Sarabhai was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s third highest civilian honor, in 1972.
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