Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai

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Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai

Pre-independence India’s scientific achievements were far ahead of its industrial successes. This was unusual for any country at that time, but there remained the need to improve India’s scientific temper and strengthen the newly free nation’s science infrastructure. These were the objectives that drove Homi J Bhabha and JRD Tata to pursue their vision of establishing the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) back in 1945.

TIFR became the cradle of the country’s atomic energy endeavour. The Institute wasn’t just about science; it was also about discovering and delivering the benefits drawn from science to Indian society. Given that there was little scientific and industrial infrastructure at the time, TIFR came to play a crucial role.

The building of TIFR was quite interesting. Everything was done in-house, including the carpentry and such. We were at the frontiers of science, which meant that we had to create our own infrastructure. The fundamental research we were involved in then was of the atypical kind.

TIFR have done a large amount of experimental research that has blossomed into trend-setting initiatives. For instance, India’s first digital computer was crafted at TIFR, back in 1957. This was a significant success by any yardstick.

In the years immediately following independence, India’s goal was self-reliance. But, in terms of self-reliance there is a difference between science and technology. If you don’t have a particular technology, you can try and develop it to, say, build a car indigenously. TIFR now functions differently, and so it must. If it does not it will be frozen in an earlier time, which means it would fail in its mission. Some of Institute’s activities have changed down the years and this process will continue.

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