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Anil Kakodkar

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Anil Kakodkar
FNA
Born(1943-11-11)11 November 1943(age 80)
Barwani,Madhya Pradesh,British India
Alma materRuparel College
VJTI,University of Mumbai
University of Nottingham
Known forOperation Shakti
Pokhran-II
Indian nuclear program
AwardsPadma Shri(1998)
Padma Bhushan(1999)
Padma Vibhushan(2009)[1]
Gomant Vibhushan Award(2010)
Maharashtra Bhushan(2011)
G-Files awards(2015)
Scientific career
FieldsMechanical Engineering
InstitutionsAtomic Energy Commission of India
Department of Atomic Energy
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC)
Anil Kakodkar
Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India
In office
2000-2009
Preceded byR. Chidambaram
Succeeded bySrikumar Banerjee
The Chairman Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Atomic Energy Dr. Anil Kokodkar in 2006

Anil Kakodkar,FNA(born 11 November 1943) is an Indiannuclearphysicist and mechanical engineer. He was the chairman of theAtomic Energy Commission of Indiaand the Secretary to theGovernment of India,he was the Director of theBhabha Atomic Research Centre,Trombay from 1996 to 2000. He was awarded thePadma Vibhushan,India's second highest civilian honour, on 26 January 2009.

Apart from playing a major role in India's nuclear tests asserting sovereignty, Kakodkar champions India's self-reliance onthoriumas a fuel for nuclear energy.[2]

Early life

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Kakodkar was born on 11 November 1943 inBarwaniprincely state(present dayMadhya Pradeshstate) to Kamala Kakodkar andPurushottam Kakodkar,bothGandhianfreedom fighters. He had his early education atBarwaniand at Khargone, until moving toMumbaifor post-matriculation studies.

Kakodkar graduated fromRuparel College,then fromVJTI,University of Mumbaiwith a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1963. He joined the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in 1964. He obtained a master's degree in experimental stress analysis from theUniversity of Nottinghamin 1969.

Career

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He joined the Reactor Engineering Division of the BARC and played a key role in design and construction of theDhruva reactor,a completely original but high-tech project. He was a part of the core team of architects of India's Peaceful Nuclear Tests in 1974 and 1998. Further he has led the indigenous development in India's Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor Technology. He worked in the rehabilitation of the two reactors at Kalpakkam and the first unit at Rawatbhata, which at one stage were on the verge of being written off.

In 1996 he became Director of the BARC and since 2000 he has been leading the Atomic Energy Commission of India and also is the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. He has published over 250 scientific papers.

He believes that India should be self-reliant in energy, especially by use of the cheap national thorium resources.[3]He continues to engage in designing the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor, that uses thorium-uranium 233 as the primary energy source with plutonium as the driver fuel. The unique reactor system, with simplified but safe technology, will generate 75 per cent of electricity from thorium.[4]

Other positions

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  • Kakodkaris a member of many boards, commissions, and other organizations. Some of them are:
  • Chairman, Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay – 2006–15.[5]
  • Chairman, Board of Directors of Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited, Pune (current).[6]
  • Member, Atomic Energy Commission[5]
  • Member, ONGC Energy Centre Trust[5]
  • Chairman, empowered committee on IIT reforms[5]
  • Presentlyupdated April-2014he is serving as a director on the central board ofReserve Bank of India.[7]
  • He is a Fellow of theIndian National Academy of Engineeringand served as its president during 1999–2000.
  • He is a Fellow of theIndian Academy of Sciences,the National Academy of Sciences, India and theMaharashtra Academy of Sciences.
  • He is a member of the—International Nuclear Energy Academy and Honorary member of the World Innovation Foundation. He was member of the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG) during 1999–2002
  • He is on the board of Governors ofVJTI,Mumbai
  • He will head Rail safety committee as per Rail budget speech by Railway Minister in 2012
  • He is chairman Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission, Government of Maharashtra, Mantralaya, Mumbai.
  • He is chairman of steering and monitoring committee ofBiomedical Engineering and Technology (incubation) Centre,a network of 11 engineering and medical institutes for medical device innovation.
  • He is chairperson of Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar.
  • He is Chairman of Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited

Books

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Fire and FuryTransforming India's Strategic Identity-- authored by Anil Kakodkar and Suresh Gangotra

Awards

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The former President Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Padma Vibhushan to the then Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Dr. Anil Kakodkar, at the Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 31, 2009

National awards

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Other awards

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  • Highest civilian award of the Maharashtra state-Maharashtra Bhushan Award(2011–2012)[8]
  • Highest civilian award of the Goa state-Gomant Vibhushan Award(2010)[9][10]
  • Hari Om Ashram Prerit Vikram Sarabhai Award (1988)
  • H. K. Firodia Awardfor Excellence in Science and Technology (1997)
  • Rockwell Medal for Excellence in Technology (1997)
  • FICCIAward for outstanding contribution to Nuclear Science and Technology (1997–98)
  • ANACON – 1998 Life Time Achievement Award for Nuclear Sciences
  • Indian Science Congress Association's H. J. Bhabha Memorial Award (1999–2000)
  • Godavari Gaurav Award (2000)
  • Dr. Y. Nayudamma Memorial Award (2002)
  • Chemtech Foundation's Achiever of the Year Award for Energy (2002)
  • Gujar Mal Modi Innovative Science and Technology Award in 2004.
  • Homi Bhabha Lifetime Achievement Award 2010.
  • Acharya Varahmihir Award (2004) by Varahmihir Institute of Scientific Heritage and Research, Ujjain (M.P.), India

References

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  1. ^abc"Padma Awards"(PDF).Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 15 October 2015.Retrieved21 July2015.
  2. ^Sunderarajan, P. (8 January 2010)."Thorium reactors more secure: Kakodkar".The Hindu.
  3. ^"India aims to build World's First Thorium ADS".
  4. ^"Harnessing thorium for nuclear power challenges ahead by Anil Kakodkar at ThEC15".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on 12 December 2021.
  5. ^abcd"Current Key Engagements".
  6. ^"Home | MKCL".
  7. ^"Reserve Bank of India - About Us".rbi.org.in.Archived fromthe originalon 7 June 2014.
  8. ^"Anil Kakodkar to get 'Maharashtra Bhushan' award".news18.26 April 2012.Retrieved27 July2022.
  9. ^Kamat, Prakash (30 May 2010)."India will become energy-independent: Kakodkar".The Hindu.Retrieved16 August2014.
  10. ^"First Gomant Vibhushan award presented to Dr Anil Kakodkar".Target Goa.30 May 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2014.Retrieved16 August2014.
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