Top Kalpakkam scientist is BARC director

Chennai:

Sekhar basu, a top scientist from Kalpakkam and the brain behind land-based nuclear submarine propulsion plant will now head country’s premier research and development Bhaba Atomic Research Centre from Monday.

Prior to his new appointment, Basu was chief executive of  Nuclear Recycle Board (NRB) and Kalpakkam’s BARC Facilities Director.

The senior Indian scientist who has won many coveted awards from Indian Nuclear Society (INS) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) for his significant contributions to the country’s Atomic Energy Programme, would promote research in basic science and engineering in his new role besides pursuit of BARC programmes at various strategic areas, according to a release from Nuclear Recycle Board. He also proposes to launch major expansion programmes in food and health sectors, which are of paramount importance to our country at this juncture, the release added.

An engineering graduate from Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute in Mumbai, Basu joined the prestigious BARC Training School in 1974.  He joined Reactor Engineering Division of BARC and contributed significantly towards the development of fuel for boiling water reactors (BWR). 

He moved to Kalpakkam in Tamilnadu during 1988 and was responsible for commissioning of land based nuclear submarine propulsion plant.  Subsequently, he was the architect of India’s indigenous Nuclear Recycle Programme and constructed the reprocessing and waste management plants at Tarapur and Kalpakkam.  He has also been involved in Fusion Reactor Programme, ITER, France.