MR Srinivasan, a renowned nuclear scientist and former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, died on Tuesday at the age of 95. He held the prestigious civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan under whose leadership India developed 18 nuclear power units across the landscape of nuclear energy.
In September 1955, Mr. Srinivasan joined the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), with Homi Bhabha, to work on Apsara — India’s first nuclear research reactor — which achieved criticality in August 1956. Over the years, he held a number of prominent positions of national significance. In 1974 he became director of the power projects engineering division at DAE, and in 1984, he became chairman of the nuclear power board.
In these positions, he was in charge of the planning, development and implementation of nuclear power projects over at least 100 nuclear power projects in India. He became chairman of the atomic energy commission and secretary of the department of atomic energy in 1987.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed grief over the death of MR Srinivasn and said his passing is a great loss for India’s scientific community. In a post on X, Kharge condoled the death of the scientist and said, “The demise of Dr MR Srinivasan, a pioneering nuclear scientist and Padma Vibhushan recipient, marks a significant loss for India’s scientific community.”
Also Read: 73 Pakistani Agents Behind Bars Now: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
