New Delhi:
Rajgopal Chidambaram (88), the architect of India’s nuclear weapons program, died in Mumbai on Saturday morning. He played an important role in the nuclear tests at Pokhran in 1974 and 1998. A world-class physicist and accomplished science administrator, Chidambaram made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics, as well as introducing innovative technologies to empower communities in rural India.
Chidambaram joined the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) in 1962 and became its director in 1990. In 1993, he led the country’s nuclear program as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary in the Department of Atomic Energy, a position he held until 2000.
After retirement, he was appointed as the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India in 2001, a position he held until 2018. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (1994–1995).
As PSA, Chidambaram guided India’s efforts in the field of nano-electronics, implemented the National Knowledge Network, and established the Rural Technology Working Group (RUTAG) to explore rural applications for advanced technologies.
He also took initiatives and conducted several projects in areas such as energy, healthcare and strategic self-reliance, which led to significant progress in India’s science and technology landscape. Chidambaram will be known for his contribution to India’s nuclear weapons programme, with which he was associated since 1967, when the technology of peaceful nuclear explosions was widely discussed around the world. He represented India in various global conferences organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- Chidambaram was known to have personally brought plutonium from Mumbai to Pokhran in Rajasthan as part of the 1974 nuclear test Operation ‘Smiling Buddha’.
- Chidambaram was seen in military uniform with the then chairman of Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) A P J Abdul Kalam while working on the Pokhran-II tests, named Operation Shakti, in 1998.
- Chidambaram was the head of India’s nuclear program when five nuclear tests were conducted on May 11 and May 13 in 1998. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had then declared India a nuclear weapon state. Five nuclear tests also included a thermonuclear device, known as a neutron bomb.
Vajpayee’s visit to ‘Ground Zero’ in Pokhran a few days after the nuclear tests were conducted was also proof that there was no radioactivity-related pollution at that site. More than a decade later, when some scientists associated with the 1998 nuclear tests questioned the efficacy of the thermo-nuclear device, Chidambaram and his successor Anil Kakodkar vigorously defended the results.
Chidambaram was born on 12 November 1936 in Chennai. He received his primary education from Sanatan Dharma High School, Meerut. From eighth grade onwards, he studied at PS High School in Mylapore, Chennai and graduated from Presidency College.
Chidambaram did post-graduation from the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. He was honored with many prestigious awards including Padma Shri in 1975 and Padma Vibhushan in 1999. He also received honorary doctorates from several universities and was a Fellow of prestigious Indian and international academies of sciences. He is survived by his wife Chella and daughters Nirmala and Nitya.
Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty said, “Dr. Chidambaram was a stalwart in the field of science and technology, whose contributions enhanced India’s nuclear capability and strategic self-reliance. His demise is an irreparable loss to the scientific community and the nation.
He said that Chidambaram will be remembered as a pioneer, inspirational leader and a dedicated mentor to countless scientists and engineers.
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