Sekhar Basu
Dr. Sekhar Basu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| ChairmanAtomic Energy Commission
and SecretaryDepartment of Atomic Energy | |
| In office 23 October 2015 – 17 September 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Dr. Ratan Kumar Sinha |
| Succeeded by | Shri Kamlesh Nilkanth Vyas |
| Director of theBhabha Atomic Research Centre | |
| In office 19 June 2012 – 23 February 2016 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 September 1952 Muzaffarpur,Bihar,India |
| Died | 24 September 2020(aged 68) Kolkata,West Bengal,India |
| Residence(s) | Mumbai,India |
| Alma mater | Ballygunge Government High School Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute,Mumbai BARC Training School |
| Profession | Nuclear scientist |
| Awards | Padma Shri(2014) Indian Nuclear Society (INS) Award (2002) Department of Atomic Energy(DAE) Award (2006 and 2007) |
Dr. Sekhar Basu(20 September 1952 – 24 September 2020) was an Indiannuclear scientistwho served as the chairman of theAtomic Energy Commissionand Secretary to the Government of India,Department of Atomic Energy(DAE).[1]He also served as the Director ofBhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC), the Project Director of Nuclear Submarine Program, and later as the Chief Executive of the Nuclear Recycle Board at Bhabha Atomic Research Center.[2]He was a recipient of India's fourth highest civilian honorPadma Shriin 2014.[3]
He is credited for his efforts in building the nuclear reactor for India's first nuclear powered submarineINS Arihant,nuclear waste recycling plants inTarapurandKalpakkam,and theIndian Neutrino ObservatoryinTheni,Tamil Nadu.[3]
Education and career
[edit]Basu was born on 20 September 1952 inMuzaffarpur,in the Indian state ofBihar.[4][5]He attendedBallygunge Government High School,Kolkata,and graduated inmechanical engineeringfromVeermata Jijabai Technological Institute,University of Mumbaiin 1974.[6][7]
After completion of a year at theBhabha Atomic Research Centre's training school, he joined the Reactor Engineering Division in the same institute in 1975. He went on to work as a project director of the Nuclear Submarine program and as the chief executive of the Nuclear Recycle Board at BARC India.[3]
He further went on to become the Director of theBhabha Atomic Research Centrein 2012 and was appointed the chairman of the IndianAtomic Energy Commissionand Secretary to the Government of India,Department of Atomic Energy(DAE) in 2015, and served in this position through September 2018.[1]
Projects
[edit]Nuclear recycle plants
[edit]In his role as the Chief Executive of the Nuclear Recycle Board, at BARC, Basu's research spanned design, development, and operation of nuclear reprocessing and nuclear waste management. He was involved in the design and building of reprocessing plants, fuel storage facilities, and nuclear waste treatment facilities atTrombay,Maharashtra,Tarapur, Maharashtra,andKalpakkam,Tamil Nadu.[8]
Nuclear power deployment
[edit]
As the secretary of theDepartment of Atomic Energy(DAE) between 2015 and 2018, Basu supported initiatives to accelerate the pace of nuclear power deployment in India. In May 2017, the Government of India gave its approval to DAE's plan for construction of 10pressurized heavy-water reactors(PHWRs) and twopressurized water reactors(PWRs).[9]In this period, the DAE took pm simultaneous construction of 21 reactors, with thePrototype Fast Breeder Reactor(PFBR) at Kalpakkam being in advanced stages of commissioning.[10]In this period, DAE also initiated actions for increased uranium exploration and mining in India.[11]
He also oversaw the launch of various projects at the Department of Atomic Energy, including the commercial power production of the second 1000MWe nuclear reactor atKudankulam Nuclear Power Plant,and construction of two further nuclear power plants,KKNPPUnits 3 and 4, of the same capacity, starting in June 2017.[12][13]
Fundamental science projects
[edit]
His fundamental science research and partnerships spanned Superconducting Accelerators,Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory(LIGO),International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor(ITER), and theIndia-based Neutrino Observatory.[3]
In his role as the Secretary of theDepartment of Atomic Energy,he signed aMemorandum of understanding(MoU) with theNational Science Foundationin 2016, to establish an advancedGravitational wave detectorin India. When completed, theIndian Initiative in Gravitational-wave Observationsor INDIGO will be the fifth large scale gravitational wave detector in the world, and the third LIGO detector in the world after LIGO US, and VIRGO gravitational wave detector in Italy.[14][15]A site nearAundha Nagnathin theHingoli District,Maharashtrahas been selected, with a predicted date of commission in 2024.[16][17]
In November 2016, during his tenure at the DAE, he signed an agreement for India to be an associate member of theEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research(CERN). The agreement would allow Indian companies to bid for engineering contracts at the CERN, and would also allow for Indian engineers to participate in projects at the CERN.[18][19]
He also signed aMoUin April 2018, with the then US energy secretaryRick Perryto expand collaboration between India and the US inneutrino researchpaving the way for collaboration between theLong Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF),Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE)in the US, and theIndia-based Neutrino Observatory (INO)inTheni,India. The MoU built on the previous agreement between the two countries to collaborate on the manufacture of particle accelerator components.[20]
Healthcare and societal outreach
[edit]During his time at the DAE, the agency drove initiatives to developradiotherapyequipment and low cost radiotherapy treatment for developing countries. Bhabhatron, a low cost radiotherapy machine and a digital simulator was shared with Tanzania, Kenya, and Mongolia. Efforts were also undertaken for the development of indigenous cancer care drugs.[21][22]
In this period, he also coordinated with the Government of India'sStartup IndiaSkill Indiaprogram, to provide spin-off technologies available for entrepreneurs to use.[23]
Awards and honours
[edit]- Indian Nuclear SocietyAward (2002)[3]
- DAE Awards (2006 and 2007)[24]
- Padma Shri,Government of India(2014)[3]
He was also a Fellow of theIndian National Academy of Engineering(INAE) and theIndian Society for Non-Destructive Testing(ISNT).[2]
Death
[edit]Basu died fromCOVID-19inKolkataon 24 September 2020, four days after his 68th birthday, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in India.He was also suffering from kidney ailments at the time of his death.[5][25]
See also
[edit]
- Arihant-class submarine
- Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam
- India-based Neutrino Observatory
- Nuclear Power Corporation of India
References
[edit]- ^ab"Dr Sekhar Basu takes charge as Chairman, AEC and Secretary, DAE".pib.nic.in.Retrieved7 July2017.
- ^abBhabha Atomic Research Centre (23 February 2016)."Dr. Sekhar Basu".Archived fromthe originalon 22 December 2018.Retrieved23 December2018.
- ^abcdef"Nuclear scientist Sekhar Basu succumbs to Covid".The Indian Express.25 September 2020.Retrieved25 September2020.
- ^Press Information Bureau (23 October 2015)."Sekhar Basu Writeup - Press Information Bureau"(PDF).Press Information Bureau.Retrieved9 August2017.
- ^ab"Scientist Sekhar Basu is no more".The Telegraph Online. 25 September 2020. Archived fromthe originalon 25 September 2020.
- ^"Padma Shri Award for Shri Sekhar Basu, Director, BARC"(PDF).BARC.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 12 July 2018.Retrieved9 August2017.
- ^"Padma Shri Award for Shri Sekhar Basu, Director, BARCBARC"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 12 July 2018.Retrieved9 August2017.
- ^"'Our policy is to reprocess all the fuel put into a nuclear reactor'".The Hindu.28 October 2012.ISSN0971-751X.Retrieved25 September2020.
- ^"Government Approves Mega-Project for 10 Indigenous Reactors | Department of Atomic Energy".dae.nic.in.Retrieved9 August2017.
- ^"PIB's Press Release on Cabinet's decision to transform domestic nuclear industry | Department of Atomic Energy".dae.nic.in.Retrieved9 August2017.
- ^"BHAVINI:: Welcomes You".www.bhavini.nic.in.Archived fromthe originalon 9 August 2017.Retrieved9 August2017.
- ^"Year End review: Department of Atomic Energy".pib.nic.in.Retrieved9 August2017.
- ^"PIB - DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY"(PDF).Retrieved9 August2017.
- ^"LIGO India MOU signed".LIGO | Livingston.Retrieved25 September2020.
- ^"India-US to sign MoU for building LIGO project".Business Standard India.Press Trust of India. 30 March 2016.Retrieved25 September2020.
- ^"First LIGO Lab Outside US To Come Up In Maharashtra's Hingoli".NDTV.8 September 2016.
- ^Mann, Adam (4 March 2020)."The golden age of neutron-star physics has arrived".Nature.579(7797): 20–22.Bibcode:2020Natur.579...20M.doi:10.1038/d41586-020-00590-8.PMID32132697.
- ^"India joins CERN as an associate member".The Hindu.23 November 2016.ISSN0971-751X.Retrieved26 September2020.
- ^"India to become Associate Member State of CERN".CERN.Retrieved26 September2020.
- ^"US and India team up on neutrino physics".CERN Courier.1 June 2018.Retrieved26 September2020.
- ^"Modi hands over Bhabhatron to Mongolia for cancer treatment".Business Standard India.Press Trust of India. 17 May 2015.Retrieved25 September2020.
- ^"Statement by Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission"(PDF).28 September 2016.
- ^"DAE condoles the sudden demise of Dr Sekhar Basu at Calcutta in the early hours of 24.9.20".pib.gov.in.Retrieved25 September2020.
- ^"Dr. Sekhar Basu, Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre".www.barc.gov.in.Archived fromthe originalon 22 December 2018.Retrieved25 September2020.
- ^"Nuclear scientist Sekhar Basu dies of Covid-19 - India News".The Times of India.24 September 2020.Retrieved24 September2020.
External links
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