| M. P. Parameswaran | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 18, 1935 Kerala, Punjab, India |
| Residence | India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Fields | Nuclear Engineering |
| Institutions | Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Department of Atomic Energy |
| Alma mater | College of Engineering, Trivandrum Moscow Power Engineering Institute |
| Known for | Indian Nuclear Program Operation Smiling Buddha |
| Notable awards | Books for Neoliterates Award (1962) Basic and Cultural Literature Award (1964) Children's Literature Award (1984) |
M. P. Parameswaran is an Indian nuclear engineer and eminent science contributor. He is an atomic scientist and educationist of India. He played an important role in Indian Nuclear program.
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He was born on January 18, 1935 in Kerala. In 1956, he received Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the College of Engineering, Kerala. He then joined Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay in 1956 as a scientist and continued there up to 1975. From 1969 to 1973 he also worked as the assistant director of the State Institute of Languages in Kerala, on a deputation from BARC. He got PhD in Nuclear Engineering from Moscow Power Engineering Institute in 1965.[1]
During 1970s, people science movement called Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) was formed in Kerala and created a new movement among science teachers and science communicators in the state. To take part in the movement, he resigned the job in 1975. Since then he has been a full- time activist of the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP). Under his leadership, the KSSP grew into a massive people’s movement and influenced science communicators all over the country.[2][3]
After KSSP became a success in Kerala, M. P. Parameswaran took steps to enlarge the canvas in national level. During 1987, as Convener of the National Organising Committee of the Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha, a unique communication event for India - he significantly contributed to the conceptualisation, organisation and conduct of this massive communication experiment. He had also been instrumental in the setting up of All India People's Science Network (AIPSN), a common platform of people science movements in India.[4]
Again in 1980, he was instrumental in the organisation of the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Jatha in support of the National Literacy Mission Programme. This led to the formation of Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), which was responsible for the massive literacy campaign initiated in India.
MP is also a prolific writer. He has written 29 popular science books in Malayalam and two in English. His books give a panoramic view of science. Radioactivity, atomic science, Astronomy, Mathematics, political science, social science, ecology - these are some of the varied subjects he has dealt with in his books. A vision of "A New World - A New India" guides his thoughts and actions. He was the recipient of two national awards, one for science popularisation and another for literacy. Articles written by him in various periodicals run to more than 300. He has received Government of India awards for "Books for Neoliterates" (1962) and "Basic and Cultural Literature" (1964). He also received an Award for Children's Literature in 1982.
He was also an active member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) for 33 years, before being expelled for writing an ideological book 'Fourth World' which envisions a world based on decentralised democracy and an economic production that is detached from consumerism, but the party views it as a rejection of Marxist principles.
In 2007, he also acted in a Malayalam movie named 'AKG' about the Communist leader A K Gopalan in which M. P. Parameswaran donned the role of Kerala's first Chief Minister E M Sankaran Namboodiripad (EMS).