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Vikram Sarabhai

and nd innovative methods of science education.[13]

Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (12 August 1919 30 December 1971)[8] was an Indian scientist and innovator
widely regarded as the father of Indias space programme.
Sarabhai received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal
in 1962.[9] The nation honoured him awarding Padma
Bhushan in 1966 and Padma Vibhushan (posthumously)
in 1972.[10]

2.1 Indian Space Program


Sarabhai was convinced that the resources in space could
address the real problems of humanity. As director of
PRL, he convened scientists, anthropologists, communicators and social scientists from all of India to spearhead
the Indian space programme.[14]

Personal life

The establishment of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was one of his greatest achievements. He
convinced the Indian government of the importance of a
space programme for a developing country like India after the Russian Sputnik launch. Sarabhai emphasized the
importance of a space program as follows:

Son of Sheth Ambalal Sarabhai, he came from the famous Sarabhai family of India who were major industrialists committed to the Indian independence movement.
Vikram Sarabhai married the classical dancer Mrinalini
in 1942. The couple had two children. His daughter
Mallika gained prominence as an actress and activist,
and his son Kartikeya Sarabhai too became an active
person in science.[7] During his lifetime, he practiced
Jainism and belonged to the Shrimal Jain community of
Ahmedabad.[11]

There are some who question the relevance of space activities in a developing nation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose. We do not have the fantasy of competing with the economically advanced nations in the exploration of the moon or the planets or manned space-ight.
But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we
must be second to none in the application of advanced
technologies to the real problems of man and society.

Professional life

Homi Jehangir Bhabha, widely regarded as the father


of Indias nuclear science program, supported Sarabhai in setting up the rst rocket launching station in
India. This center was established at Thumba near
Thiruvananthapuram on the coast of the Arabian Sea,
primarily because of its proximity to the equator. After a remarkable eort in setting up the infrastructure,
personnel, communication links, and launch pads, the inaugural ight was launched on November 21, 1963 with a
sodium vapour payload. As a result, the rst Indian satellite, Aryabhata, was put in orbit in 1975 from a Russian
Cosmodrome.

Known as the cradle of space sciences in India, the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) was founded in 1947 by
Vikram Sarabhai. PRL had a modest beginning at his
residence, the RETREAT, with research on cosmic rays.

The institute was formally established at the M.G. Science Institute, Ahmedabad, on 11 November 1947[12]
with support from the Karmkshetra Educational Foundation and the Ahmedabad Education Society. Prof.
Kalpathi Ramakrishna Ramanathan was the rst Director of the institute. The initial focus was research on cosmic rays and the properties of the upper atmosphere. Research areas were expanded to include theoretical physics
and radio physics later with grants from the Atomic En- He led the Sarabhai familys diverse business conglomerate. His interests varied from science to sports to
ergy Commission.
statistics. He set up Operations Research Group (ORG),
Today PRL is actively involved in research, related to ve the rst market research organization in the country.
major elds of science. PRL is also instrumental in the Most notable among them are the Nehru Foundation
PLANEX planetary science and exploration programme. for Development in Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute
The Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), the Ahmedabad
(VASCSC), established in the 1960s by Sarabhai, worked Textile Industrys Research Association (ATIRA) and
towards popularizing science and mathematics education the Center for Environmental Planning and Technolamong students, teachers and the laypublic. Its mandate ogy (CEPT). He also set up the Blind Men Association
is to stimulate interest, encourage and expose the princi- (BMA) which helps visually-challenged people. Along
ples of science and scientic method and also to improve with his wife Mrinalini Sarabhai, he founded the Darpana
1

Academy of Performing Arts. Other institutions established by him include the Faster Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) in Kalpakkam, Variable Energy Cyclotron
Project in Calcutta, Electronics Corporation of India
Limited (ECIL) in Hyderabad and Uranium Corporation
of India Limited (UCIL) in Jaduguda, Jharkhand.
As a result of Sarabhais dialogue with NASA in 1966, the
Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was
launched during July 1975 - July 1976 (after Sarabhais
death).
Sarabhai started a project for the fabrication and launch
of an Indian satellite. As a result, the rst Indian satellite, Aryabhata, was put in orbit in 1975 from a Russian
cosmodrome.

Darpana Academy for Performing Arts, Ahmedabad

Darpana was established as a dance academy by Mrinalini and Vikram Sarabhai in 1949. For nearly two
decades it taught classical dance. With Mrinalini as the
lead dancer, and ChatunniPanicker as her partner, the
Darpana dance company toured across the world. A
few years later the great Kuchipudi guru, c R Acharyelu
joined the faculty.[15]

REFERENCES

Vice-President, Fourth UN Conference on 'Peaceful


uses of Atomic Energy' (1971)

6 Legacy
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, (VSSC), which
is the Indian Space Research Organizations lead
facility for launch vehicle development located in
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), capital of Kerala state, is named in his memory.
Along with other Ahmedabad-based industrialists,
he played a major role in setting up of the Indian
Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
In 1973, the International Astronomical Union decided that a lunar crater, Bessel A, in the Sea of
Serenity will be known as the Sarabhai crater.[17][18]

7 References
[1] Vikram Sarabhai Biography. mapsondia.com. mapsondia. January 30, 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
[2] About Vikram Sarabhai. iloveindia.com. iloveindia.
Retrieved 22 July 2015.
[3] Mystery behind Vikram Sarabhais death. timesondia.
December 30, 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2015.

Indian Institute of Management


(IIM), Ahmedabad

The decade following independence in 1947 was witness


to a surge of innovative ideas to build a edgling independent nation into a model democratic state committed to growth with equity in the development of its people. The establishment of Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) was the outcome of one such
innovative initiative.

[4] Vikram Sarabhais love aair gave birth to IIM-A.


timesondia. January 8, 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
[5] Witness to persecution. tribuneindia. January 14, 2006.
Retrieved 22 July 2015.
[6] Vikram Sarabhai: A Life by Amrita Shah, 2007, Penguin
Viking ISBN 0-670-99951-2
[7] Famous people, Vikram Sarabhai. thefamouspeople.
Retrieved 22 July 2015.
[8] The Visionary- Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai. Vikram

Led by Vikram Sarabhai, Shri. Kasturbhai Lalbhai and


Sarabhai Space Centre. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
supported by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Jivraj
Mehta, a group of individuals set up IIMA. This group [9] Prole of the Awardee, Dr Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai.
ssbprize.gov.in. Retrieved 22 Feb 2016.
ably wove together a coalition of ve actors - the governments at the centre and the state, the local industrialists, [10] Padma Awards Directory (1954-2013)" (PDF). Ministry
the Ford Foundation and the Harvard Business School, in
of Home Aairs, Government of India. 14 August 2013.
a public private partnership to establish the Institute.[16]
Retrieved July 21, 2015.

Distinguished positions
President of the Physics section, Indian Science
Congress (1962)
President of the General Conference of the
I.A.E.A., Vienna (1970)

[11] Jains steal the show with 7 Padmas. The times of India.
timesondia. April 9, 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
The Jain community has always nurtured exceptional talent whether it is eminent scientist Vikram Sarabhai, who
is considered the father of the countrys space programme,
or poet, thinker and spiritual leader Banarsidas who composed the magnum opus Ardhakathanaka, the rst ever
autobiography in Hindi literature.
[12] BRIEF HISTORY. Retrieved 28 March 2016.

[13] Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre.


VASCSC.org. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
[14] ISRO - Genesis Page, ISRO foundation. ISRO. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
[15] Darpan Academy History. darpanaaboutus. March 28,
2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
[16] About - Indian Institute of Management. IIM Ahmedabad. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
[17] Antonn Rkl: Atlas Msce, Aventinum (Praha 1991),
chapter Bessel, page 74, ISBN 80-85277-10-7 (Czech)
[18] Sarabhai_(crater) - Planetary Names: Sarabhai on
Moon;". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, IAU,
USGS, NASA. Oct 18, 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2015.

External links
Interview with biographer Amrita Shah recorded in
August 2013
Great Scientists at freeindia.org
Hindu Newspaper

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