Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai was an Indian physicist and astronomer. He initiated space research and helped to develop nuclear power in India. He is regarded as the Father of the Indian Space Program because of his achievements. He was honored with Padma Bhushan in 1966 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1972. He was passed away as on December 30, 1971 in Kovalam.
Personal Life
Vikram Sarabhai was born as on August 12, 1919 in a Gujarati family of Industrialists. His father’s name was Ambalal Sarabhai. His father was an Industrialist, a philanthropist and founder of Sarabhai Group of Companies. His mother’s name was Sarla Devi.
He was the eighth son of Ambalal Sarabhai. In 1942, he married Mrinalini, who was a classical dancer by profession. The couple had two children. His daughter’s name is Mallika, who is an actress and an activist. His son’s name is Kartikeya, who is one of the world’s leading environmentalist educators and a dedicated community builder.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2012. Vikram Sarabhai practiced Jainism during his lifetime. He dedicated his entire life to build the Indian Space Program and that’s why he is known as the father of Indian Space Program.
Education
Vikram Sarabhai came from the famous Sarabhai family that was committed to the Indian Independence movement. He completed his higher studies from a Gujarati college. Then he took admission to the University of Cambridge in England where in 1940, he appeared for final honor exam in the Natural Sciences.
He returned to Cambridge post World War 2 to pursue his Doctorate and in 1945, he submitted a thesis on “Cosmic Ray Investigation in Tropical Latitudes”.
Achievements
Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was a great institution builder. He helped in establishing a large number of institutions in diverse fields. After returning from Cambridge in 1947, just at the age of 28, he founded the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad as on November 11, 1947. It was the first of many institutions, which Vikram Sarabhai created and cultivated.
He served in Physical Research Laboratory from 1966 to 1971. He was also very active in his family business. He founded the Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association and then actively looked after it until 1956. He also helped in setting up the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad seeing for the immediate need for management professionals in the country.
The Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which was later renamed the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was established by Vikram Sarabhai in 1962. He was appointed as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India after the demise of the beloved physicist Homi Bhabha in 1966. He is also credited for setting up the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station in Southern India. He also helped in developing indigenous nuclear technology for defense.
Discoveries
In addition to PRL and IIM Ahmedabad discussed above, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai helped in setting up many other institutions all around the country. Here are some of the well-known institutions established by Dr. Vikram sarabhai :-
- Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), Jaduguda, Bihar. It was founded in 1967, under the Department of Atomic Energy.
- Vikram. A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) or the Community Science Centre was established in 1960 at Ahmedabad. VASCSC is working towards popularizing science and mathematics education among students, teachers and the public. Its main objective is to improve and find innovative methods of scientific education.
- He, along with his wife, founded Darpan Academy for Performing Arts in 1949. It is now directed by his daughter Mallika Sarabhai.
- Faster Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), Kalpakkam was founded in 1985. It is the test bed for fast fuel reactors and materials.
- Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad was founded in 1967. It created a strong indigenous base in electronics.
- Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram was founded on 21 November 1963. It is a major space research centre of the ISRO which mainly focuses on rocket and space vehicles for the Indian satellite program.
- Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad was founded in 1972. The Space Applications Centre has played an important role in realizing the vision and the mission of ISRO.
- Variable Energy Cyclotron Project or the VECC is located in Calcutta and was founded in 1972. VECC performs research in basic and applied nuclear sciences and the development of the nuclear particle accelerator.
Inventions
The establishment of the Indian space research organization by Vikram Sarabhai is considered to be his greatest achievement. When he returned to India after completing his Doctorate from Cambridge University in London in 1947, he was able to convince the newly formed independent Indian government of the importance of a space program for a developing country like India.
Dr. Sarabhai was also supported by Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha, who is widely regarded as the father of the Indian nuclear science program. He supported Dr. Sarabhai in setting the first rocket launch station in India. The first rocket launch centre was established at Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram on the coast of the Arabian Sea.
The inaugural flight was launched on November 21, 1963, with sodium vapor payload after a remarkable effort in setting up the infrastructure, personnel, communication links, and launch pads. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was constantly in negotiations with the other leading country’s space organization such as NASA and because of his efforts, the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was launched during July 1975 – July 1976.
Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was very much interested in science education and founded the Community Science Centre at Ahmedabad in 1956. It is also called Vikram Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC). He also started a project for the fabrication and the launch of an Indian satellite. Vikram Sarabhai worked very passionately to ignite India’s first satellite, Aryabhatta but unfortunately, he passed away four years before the launch of the satellite. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was honored with Padma Bhushan in 1966 and Padma Vibhushan in 1972 to remember and celebrate his life and the legacy he left behind.
By: Chetanya Gupta
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