The first particle accelerator of India (37″ cyclotron) was established in the year 1953. Whose vision was behind this project?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Dr. Meghnad Saha
The 37-inch cyclotron, India's first particle accelerator, was built at the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Calcutta (now the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics), which was founded by Meghnad Saha. Saha, known for his thermal ionisation equation, planned the cyclotron to start nuclear research in India.
Note: This question is from the pre-rationalised NCERT book (2022-23). The topic was removed from the latest NCERT book (2026-27), and it also appears to be out of the CUET 2026 syllabus.
NCERT (Pre-rationalised edition, 2022-23):
Cyclotron – “… India has been an early entrant in the area of accelerator-based research. The vision of Dr. Meghnath Saha created a 37″ Cyclotron in the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kolkata in 1953.”