Image Source: tkbsen
Sekhar Basu has been appointed as the Chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission. The man behind the scenes finally gets the top post. Even as India was making great strides in its nuclear capabilities, little was talked about Sekhar Basu who headed various projects and many from scratch to put India on the path of innovation wrt indigenous development of nuclear technology.
Sekhar Basu, a graduate of University of Mumbai joined Bhaba Atomic Research Center as a trainee before contributing to the Reactor Engineering Division. Sekhar Basu made pioneering contribution in completion of building India’s first pressurized water reactor powered by enriched uranium. Sekhar Basu, known for his state of the art engineering capabilities continued to make huge strides in ensuring India didn’t fall down the pecking order due to India being a non-signatory of the NPT. His other contributions which earned plaudits are his vital role played in the field of Nuclear Recycling, Nuclear submarine propulsion plant, setting up of the Neutrino Observatory in TamilNadu, boiling water reactors, plutonium recycling project and in powering India’s first indigenously designed and built Indian submarine (Arihant Class).
Sekhar Basu was awarded India’s 4th highest civilian honor the Padma Shri for the leadership role he played in establishing, developing and implementing the reprocessing and waste management plans at Trombay, Tarapur and Kalpakkam. He has also forayed into Nuclear agriculture, food preservation and nuclear medicine.
India is greatly indebted to this towering personality who spread his wings wide and far in building India’s nuclear capabilities. Sekhar Basu is widely respected for making India self-reliant on various aspects of Nuclear and Nuclear recycling capabilities and it is befitting that Sekhar Basu is appointed as the Chairman of AEC. TLI wishes Mr Sekhar Basu the very best wishes in his new role besides we are extremely positive and confident Mr Sekhar Basu’s leadership will inspire and ignite lot more young minds to make lasting contributions to our country.
