CHENNAI: Dr M.R. Srinivasan, one of the principal architects of India’s civilian nuclear programme, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 95. A technocrat known for his engineering acumen and institution-building foresight, Dr Srinivasan played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s atomic energy trajectory for over four decades.A mechanical engineer by training, he joined the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in 1955, a year after its inception. He quickly became part of the core team working under Dr Homi Bhabha, widely regarded as the father of India’s nuclear programme. Together, they were instrumental in the development of Apsara, India’s first nuclear research reactor, which attained criticality in 1956.Dr Srinivasan steadily rose through the ranks of the country’s nuclear establishment. In 1959, he was appointed Principal Project Engineer and was tasked with overseeing India’s earliest efforts to harness atomic energy for power generation. His most significant engineering assignment came in 1967 when he took charge of the Madras Atomic Power Station—then the most ambitious indigenous nuclear project in the country.His contributions went well beyond reactor construction. As Director of the Power Projects Engineering Division from 1974, and later as Chairman of the Nuclear Power Board, he played a central role in shaping national policy during a period of geopolitical isolation following India’s first nuclear test in 1974.In 1987, Dr Srinivasan was appointed Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, the apex bodies responsible for formulating the country’s nuclear policy. That same year, he became the founding Chairman of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), the public sector enterprise that continues to anchor India’s civilian nuclear power infrastructure.By the time he stepped down, 18 nuclear units were in the pipeline—seven operational, seven under construction, and four in the planning phase—a reflection of his methodical and visionary leadership.In recognition of his outstanding contributions to India’s nuclear energy sector, Dr Srinivasan was conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honour.His legacy is marked not only by engineering excellence but also by a lifelong commitment to scientific self-reliance and national development.
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