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The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
M.R. Srinivasan, a key architect of India's nuclear programme, no more
M.R. Srinivasan, the former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, passed away in Udhagamandalam on Tuesday (May 20, 2025). He was 95-years-old. Srinivasan joined the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in September 1955 and began his distinguished career working alongside Dr. Homi Bhabha on the construction of India's first nuclear research reactor, Apsara, which achieved criticality in August 1956. In August 1959, he was appointed Principal Project Engineer for the construction of India's first atomic power station. His leadership continued to shape the nation's nuclear program when, in 1967, he took charge as Chief Project Engineer of the Madras Atomic Power Station. Srinivasan held several key positions of national importance. In 1974, he became Director of the Power Projects Engineering Division, DAE, and in 1984, Chairman of the Nuclear Power Board. In these roles, he oversaw the planning, execution, and operation of all nuclear power projects across the country. In 1987, he was appointed Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. That same year, he became the Founder-Chairman of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). Under his leadership, 18 nuclear power units were developed — seven of which were operational, seven under construction, and four in the planning stage. His contributions to India's nuclear energy landscape will be remembered for generations to come, his daughter, Sharada Srinivasan said in a statement released by the family. In recognition of his contributions to India's nuclear energy program, Srinivasan was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, one of the nation's highest civilian honours. 'India will always be grateful to him for advancing scientific progress and mentoring many young scientists,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on social media platform X. Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. MR Srinivasan, a stalwart of India's nuclear energy program. His instrumental role in developing critical nuclear infrastructure has been foundational to our being self-reliant in the energy sector. He is remembered for his inspiring… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 20, 2025 Congress by Congress leader and MP Jairam Ramesh wrote on X: 'it has been my good fortune to have known him for a long time and he is someone who has left a deep and lasting impression on me by the strength of his commitments, his deep appreciation of the larger social functions of science, and his profound understanding of India's rich cultural traditions.' India's legendary nuclear technologist Dr. M. R. Srinivasan has just passed away. Picked by Homi Bhabha himself, he played a pivotal role in the setting up of India's very first nuclear power plant at Tarapur in the late 60s. Later he led the team that established India's… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 20, 2025 Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, and other leaders condoled Srinivasan's demise. 'Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. M.R. Srinivasan, a legendary architect of India's nuclear energy programme and a Padma Vibhushan recipient. His visionary leadership and scientific acumen were central to building the nation's self-reliance in atomic energy,' the Raj Bhavan quoted Governor Ravi as saying, in a social media post. In a social media post, Mr. Stalin said: 'We mourn the passing of Dr. M.R. Srinivasan, a pillar of India's atomic energy programme. He began his journey with Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, the father of India's nuclear programme, building our first reactor. Over decades, he led the creation of 18 nuclear power units, driving energy self-reliance. A true nation builder. My deepest condolences.'
The Print
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
MR Srinivasan led India's nuclear energy programme, but wanted a world free of nuclear weapons
Taking lessons from the father of India's nuclear programme, M.R. Srinivasan dedicated over 50 years to shaping India's nuclear energy ambitions. On Sunday, he passed away at 95, at a hospital in Ooty. New Delhi: M.R. Srinivasan, the former chairperson of the Atomic Energy Commission of India, was only 24 when Homi Bhabha selected him to be a part of India's nuclear energy programme. 'Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. MR Srinivasan, a stalwart of India's nuclear energy program. His instrumental role in developing critical nuclear infrastructure has been foundational to our being self-reliant in the energy sector (sic),' the PM said in an X post. 'He is remembered for his inspiring leadership of the Atomic Energy Commission. India will always be grateful to him for advancing scientific progress and mentoring many young scientists. My thoughts are with his family and friends in this sad hour. Om Shanti,' Modi added. Top politicians and scientists joined the PM in mourning the loss of M.R. Srinivasan. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said it was under the Padma Vibhushan awardee's leadership that India 'resolutely and successfully' withstood the withdrawal of Canadian association post-nuclear test of May 1974—a testing but essential time for India's nuclear programme. 'It has been my good fortune to have known him for a long time, and he is someone who has left a deep and lasting impression on me by the strength of his commitments, his deep appreciation of the larger social functions of science, and his profound understanding of India's rich cultural traditions,' Ramesh said in an X post. M.R. Srinivasan's daughter S. Sharada posted on Facebook: 'My father suddenly took ill in Ooty over last night and passed away peacefully in hospital at 4am in hospital, my mother is with are going from Bangalore now..' ' always said that work was duty and that I should not miss a day of work regardless of other still this is not fair..I had just told you of our plans to have 95th celebration of your life's work couple of days back,' she also wrote, addressing Srinivasan. Also Read: Indian astrophysics giant Jayant Vishnu Narlikar reshaped our relationship with the sky Early life & work Born 5 January 1930, M.R. Srinivasan had a degree in mechanical engineering from Bengaluru's University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE). He then completed his Master's and PhD in gas turbine technology from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. In 1955, M.R. Srinivasan joined the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), roped in by Bhabha to be part of his hand-picked team assigned with the task of constructing Apsara, which achieved criticality in 1956. During the span of his career, M.R. Srinivasan served as principal project engineer for the construction of India's first atomic power station, chief project engineer at the Madras Atomic Power Station that produced electricity from nuclear energy for the first time in India, and director of the power projects engineering division at DAE, before he took over as the Atomic Energy Commission chairperson and the DAE secretary. He also guided the development of 18 nuclear power units as the founding chairperson of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. Detractor of nuclear weapons The introverted scientist spent his post-retirement days between Delhi, Bengaluru, and Ooty, where his wife ran an eco-watch movement. Having witnessed the rampage of nuclear energy on humankind during his visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, M.R. Srinivasan was a firm believer in its peaceful use. 'Mankind should do all it can to eliminate nuclear weapons from the earth and use nuclear energy exclusively for peaceful purposes,' he said in 2002. Srinivasan also insisted that the world collectively work to eliminate nuclear weapons. 'We must achieve the goal as early as possible,' he said. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: At condolence meet in Delhi for Nasrallah, Iran & Palestine envoys say Hezbollah will 'rebuild itself'
Deccan Herald
20-05-2025
- Science
- Deccan Herald
Former Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr MR Srinivasan passes away at 95
Dr. Srinivasan joined the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in September 1955 and began his distinguished career working alongside Dr. Homi Bhabha on the construction of India's first nuclear research reactor, Apsara, which achieved criticality in August 1956.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India must build foundational AI models—not just AI applications
There has been a growing discourse questioning the rationale behind India investing in Foundational AI Models (FAIM), claiming they are yesterday's opportunity, open-sourced, a dozen of them already exist and that India's focus should instead be on building applications—replicating the IT services playbook. This sentiment echoes several doyens of the Indian IT industry. This perspective, however, is limited. AI is not just another technology like mobile or cloud—it's a fundamental shift in computational capability. It's the new power lever shaping global economic, technological, and geopolitical dynamics. To treat it purely as a tactical business opportunity is to miss the forest for the trees. AI today is akin to nuclear tech, quantum computing, cryptography, or space minerals mining. Nations that master these foundational capabilities won't just innovate faster—they'll dominate. The question isn't whether India should 'catch up' on FAIM. It's whether we want to participate at all in the next wave of AI innovation —especially as we inch closer to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). To do that, India must cultivate a deep expertise & suitable talent pool. Creating proprietary FAIM from scratch is not the end goal; it's a training ground. It produces the talent needed to build tomorrow's AI breakthroughs. Ask yourself—does today India even have 10 high-caliber AI teams in industry that can build FAIM-level systems or contribute to top 1% foundational AI research? If not, how do we expect to be part of the AGI journey? And if we are assuming that the U.S. or China will achieve AGI handover to India, maybe as open source, then it is a fantasy. Innovation doesn't flow downstream unless you're in the game. Without hands-on experience and real capabilities, we'll be reduced to using whatever tools others give us—at best. That's not sovereignty, that's dependency. History has shown us the cost of this approach. In 1993, the U.S. blocked Russia from transferring cryogenic engine tech to India. It almost crippled our space program. But Indian scientists doubled down, and today, we have a thriving space ecosystem & best in class talent pool. If back then we had merely focused on 'space applications', we would never have produced the "Rocket Women of India" who led the Chandrayaan-3 landing on the Moon's south pole. Similarly, had we limited ourselves to 'nuclear applications' and a visionary like Dr Homi Bhabha had not taken a stand to develop India's indigenous nuclear capability, India would have never nurtured a world-class atomic talent pool capable of handling both fusion & fission technology. AI is no different—arguably more important. This is not to say we pour all resources into building FAIM from scratch. It's expensive, high-risk, and not for every player. 99.9% of startups and enterprises should focus on the application layer. That's where a large and an immediate opportunity lies—and profits made there can fund the broader AI ecosystem. But 0.1% of our capacity—just 20-30 serious, mission-driven industrial teams—must pursue FAIM and foundational research. The hope is that some of these teams will secure India's place at the AI table and push the boundaries toward AGI. Crucially, this can't be left to academia or government alone. They have their constraints. The private sector must lead. If we had Indian equivalents of Lockheed Martin or Boeing, we wouldn't rely solely on HAL for the Tejas fighter jet. In the U.S., AI breakthroughs came not just from universities or government agencies, but from corporate labs—OpenAI, DeepMind, Anthropic, FAIR. When NASA couldn't bring Sunita Williams back, SpaceX did. How long will Indian corporations chase only low-hanging fruit while shying away from real R&D? As honorable Minister Piyush Goyal recently said—how long will we make fancy ice creams instead of computer chips? The buck can't be just passed on to startups alone. They have 110 challenges to fight. Answers can come from every cash-rich Indian IT/software/product company above a certain revenue must invest $10–20 million in foundational AI research— fund at least one FAIM team internally . This isn't about leaderboard rankings. It's about building core capability that can solve India's & humanity's hardest challenges: predicting pandemics, natural disasters, discovering drugs, understanding demographic shifts, or preventing financial crises; fulfilling the honorable Prime Minister's vision of India becoming a vishwa guru. We need R&D that pushes FAIM forward—models that can be localized for Indian contexts to solve problems in farming, fishing, or education. This sends a clear message to global Indian talent: that corporate India, not just startups, means business—come build with us. The returns? Strategic AI independence. Long-term economic windfalls. Deep tech job creation. Sovereignty over critical infrastructure. And a shot at real leadership in the AI century. The AI race is on. Will India be just another application builder—or will it also rise to light the path toward AGI?
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
From nuclear deal to education policy, K Kasturirangan's impact was felt far and wide
Bengaluru: The 'Kasturirangan Magic' Isro boasts of wasn't confined to rockets and satellites. It radiated far beyond the walls of Isro centres, echoing through the halls of Parliament, university campuses, environmental summits, and even the atomic energy corridors. Kasturirangan, one of India's most decorated scientists, left an indelible imprint on national projects that shaped the country's science, education and policy landscapes. Long after he stepped down as chairman of Isro, his influence only widened in scope. In Dec 2007, tension hung in the air as the Rajya Sabha prepared to debate the contentious Indo-US nuclear deal or 123 Agreement. Kasturirangan, serving as a nominated member, had already developed a reputation that transcended political divides. "You may speak for as long as you need," the Congress floor coordinator had told him earlier that day, recognising the weight his words would carry in the critical debate. For 29 minutes, Kasturirangan addressed the chamber, articulating with precision and clarity why the nuclear deal would serve India's long-term interests. He spoke of energy security, India's vast thorium deposits, and the visionary three-phase nuclear programme conceptualised by Homi Bhabha decades earlier. The then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, who had staked significant political capital on this agreement, waved in appreciation when Kasturirangan finished —a rare gesture from the typically reserved statesman. That evening, as Kasturirangan dined with fellow MPs, his mobile phone rang. It was nearly 10pm. "Dr Kasturirangan," came the unmistakable voice of the PM. "I wanted to personally thank you for your brilliant speech today." For academics & environment Equally transformative was his role in drafting India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. As chairman of the NEP committee, he championed a holistic, learner-centric vision that reimagined Indian education from the ground up — ushering in multidisciplinary learning, mother tongue instruction in early years, and an emphasis on critical thinking. This was not his first tryst with academic reforms. As chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, and later the Central University of Rajasthan, he brought the weight of experience to bear on institutional governance. Environmental conservation too found a champion in Kasturirangan. He led the high-level working group that crafted a strategy to protect the fragile ecology of the Western Ghats, a move that sparked dialogue across ministries and states. As the chair of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission, he helped design policies to bridge scientific research and societal development, especially in the state he had made home. His tenure in the Planning Commission saw a surge in national investment in science and technology, with Kasturirangan pushing for mega science projects, international collaboration, and innovation in energy and environment. From guiding space archaeology projects at Nias (National Institute of Advanced Studies) to serving the Atomic Energy Commission, he was a perennial architect behind the scenes. In every role, what stood out was not just his versatility, but his ability to quietly align ambition with pragmatism. The stars may have been his laboratory, but his legacy was built here on Earth.
