Nuclear scientist Dr Chidambaram passes away

NEW DELHI: Dr R Chidambaram (88), one of the architects of India’s nuclear program and a former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, passed away due to age-related ailments on Saturday morning at a hospital in Mumbai. He was honoured by the nation with the Padma Shri in 1975 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999.

Dr Chidambaram had played a pivotal role in India's nuclear tests conducted under Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi in 1974 and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998. He was also instrumental in shaping the India-U.S. Civil Nuclear Agreement.

Born in Chennai, Dr Chidambaram earned a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, before joining the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in 1962. He served as the Director of BARC (1990-1993), Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (1994-1995), and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (1993-2000). After retiring, he succeeded Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister (2001-2018).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute, recalling Dr Chidambaram as one of the key architects of India's nuclear program and a significant contributor to strengthening the nation’s scientific and strategic capabilities. The Prime Minister also noted that his contributions would inspire future generations and be remembered with gratitude by the nation.