The Atom Architect: Remembering M.R. Srinivasan, Pillar of India’s Nuclear Powerhouse

Dr. Malur Ramasamy Srinivasan, who passed away at 95, was a behemoth of India's nuclear energy epic and among the nation's key civil nuclear power programme specialists. He entered the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in 1955 and worked very closely with Dr. Homi Bhabha on Apsara, India's initial nuclear research reactor, which attained criticality in 1956, a milestone.

 

Srinivasan's engineering acumen was reflected when, in 1959, he was appointed Principal Project Engineer to plan India's first atomic power station. He led the Madras Atomic Power Station project in 1967 to create India's indigenous nuclear power status. He rose to become Director of the Power Projects Engineering Division in 1974 and Chairman of the Nuclear Power Board in 1984.

 

In 1987, Srinivasan was appointed Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary to the DAE, and was the first Chairman of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). Through his vision and leadership, 18 nuclear power units were commissioned—seven operational, seven under construction, and four at planning stages—and the nuclear infrastructure of India was significantly enhanced.

 

In lieu of his monumental contribution, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. His technical excellence and dedication towards India's energy security legacy pave the way for generations to follow.

 

Source: NDTV, New Indian Express, Times of India