• Source:JND
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Veteran Indian nuclear scientist Dr R Chidambaram passed away on Saturday at the age of 88 in Mumbai. Dr Chidambaram was known for his commendable contribution in both of India's atomic explosions at Pokhran in 1974 and later in 1998. Chidambaram served as the chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission and also provided his services as the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.

He was born in 1936 in Tamil Nadu and was an alumnus of Presidency College of Chennai and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. He played a very crucial role in achieving India's dream of becoming a nuclear power and establishing India on the global forum. He participated in the nation's first nuclear test in 1974 and later led the Department of Atomic Energy team during the second Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998. Chidambaram is one of the rare scientists who participated in both Smiling Buddha in 1974 and Operation Shakti in 1998.

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Dr Chidambaram was a globally recognised physicist whose research work in the fields of high-pressure physics, crystallography, and materials science has significantly contributed to modern Science. To honour his extraordinary contribution, the government honoured him with prestigious awards, including the Padma Shri in 1975 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. Apart from this, several universities provided him honorary doctorates, and he was also a fellow of prominent Indian and international science academies.

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During his long illustrious career, Dr Chidambaram held many posts, including Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (1990-1993), Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy (1993-2000), and Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (2001-2018). Dr Chidambaram was also a member of the IAEA's Commission of Eminent Persons and the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (1994-1995).