| Dr. Anil Kakodkar | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 11, 1943 Barwani, India |
| Residence | Mumbai, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Fields | Mechanical Engineering |
| Institutions | Atomic Energy Commission of India Department of Atomic Energy Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (IAEA) Ministry of Defence (India) |
| Alma mater | Ruparel College VJTI, University of Mumbai University of Nottingham |
| Known for | Operation Smiling Buddha Pokhran-II Indian Nuclear Program |
| Notable awards | Padma Shri (1998) Padma Bhushan (1999) Padma Vibhushan (2009) |
Anil Kakodkar( Marathi : अनिल काकोडकर ) is an eminent Indian nuclear scientist and mechanical engineer. He was the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and the Secretary to the Government of India, he was the Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay from 1996-2000. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, on January 26, 2009.
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Apart from playing a major role in India's nuclear tests asserting sovereignty, Dr. Kakodkar is a champion of India's self-reliance on Thorium as a fuel for nuclear energy.
Kakodkar was born in 1943 (November 11, 1943), in Barwani Princely State (present day Madhya Pradesh state) to Mrs. Kamala Kakodkar & Mr. Purushottam Kakodkar, both Gandhian Freedom Fighters. He had his early education at Barwani and at Khargone, until moving to Mumbai for post-matriculation studies.
Kakodkar graduated from Ruparel College, then from VJTI, University of Mumbai with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1963. He joined the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in 1964. He obtained a masters degree in experimental stress analysis from the University of Nottingham in 1969.
He joined the Reactor Engineering Division of the BARC and played a key role in design and construction of the Dhruva reactor, a completely original but high-tech project. He was a part of the core team of architects of India's Peaceful Nuclear Tests in 1974 and 1998. Further he has led the indigenous development in India's Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor Technology. His work in the rehabilitation of the two reactors at Kalpakkam and the first unit at Rawatbhata, which at one stage were on the verge of being written off, are examples of his engineering capability.
In 1996 he became Director of the BARC and since 2000 he is leading the Atomic Energy Commission of India and also is the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy.
He has published over 250 scientific papers.
Making India fully self-reliant in energy, especially from the cheap national thorium resources, seems to be his mission statement and he still pursues this dream with great dedication. He has, over the years, built competent teams of highly specialised scientists and engineers in the reactor engineering programme. Today, he continues to engage in designing the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor, that uses thorium-uranium 233 as the primary energy source with plutonium as the driver fuel. The unique reactor system, with simplified but safe technology, will generate 75 per cent of electricity from thorium.
If Kakodkar's dream comes true, it will solve India's energy crisis.