In a quantum leap in physics, scientists have discovered a sub-atomic particle Higgs boson, popularly known as God particle, believed to be a crucial building block that led to the formation of the universe. An announcement to this effect was made by the scientists at Switzerland's CERN research centre near Geneva yesterday. The elusive particle is believed to have been responsible for lending mass to the particles that eventually formed the stars and the planets after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. CERN Director General Rolf Heuer said, the discovery of a particle consistent with the Higgs boson is likely to shed light on other mysteries of our Universe.

The particle was hypothesized in 1964 by six physicists, including Briton Peter Higgs, whose name it came to bear. Boson, on the other hand, is derived from the surname of Indian physicist, Satyendra Nath Bose, a contemporary of Albert Einstein. Reacting to the historic announcement, Higgs said, he never expected this to happen in his lifetime.
A large number of Indian scientists, representing the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Harishchandra Research Institute, Allahabad and Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, were involved in the experiment.