New Delhi: One of India’s most celebrated nuclear physicists and a key architect of the nation’s nuclear weapons programme, Dr Rajagopala Chidambaram passed away on Saturday at the age of 88 at Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Dr Rajagopala Chidambaram, an eminent physicist and one of India’s most distinguished scientists, this morning at 3:20 AM. His unparalleled contributions to India’s scientific and strategic capabilities and his visionary leadership will forever be remembered,” Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said in a statement.
Born in 1936, Dr Chidambaram was an alumnus of Presidency College in Chennai and the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. His career spanned decades of groundbreaking work that positioned the country as a global leader in nuclear science and strategic self-reliance.
Architect of Pokhran nuclear tests
Dr Chidambaram played a pivotal role in India’s first nuclear test, the 1974 Smiling Buddha operation, where he reportedly safeguarded the plutonium used in the blast. He led the team for the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests, known as Operation Shakti, which marked India as a nuclear weapons state. “He was integral to both Smiling Buddha and Operation Shakti, making him a unique figure in the annals of India’s nuclear history,” said Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the DAE, PTI reported.
Beyond nuclear science, Dr Chidambaram championed advancements in high-pressure physics, crystallography, and materials science, laying the groundwork for the nation’s modern materials research. He was instrumental in the development of indigenous supercomputers and conceptualised the National Knowledge Network, connecting research and educational institutions nationwide.
A strong proponent of self-reliance in technology, he famously remarked, “When one imports technology, one only gets obsolete technology, as no country seeks to share cutting-edge breakthroughs.”
