Scientist who loved cricket, tennis games with equal passion
Hindustan Times Pune|January 05, 2025
In the demise of Dr Rajagopala Chidambaram, India has lost one of its most accomplished sons.
Swapnesh Kumar Malhotra and Suresh Gangotra

MUMBAI:

He was very aptly called the doyen of physics and nuclear power, and the nuclear weapons programme in India. After superannuating from DAE, as principal scientific advisor to Government of India, he became a champion of applying science and technology for strengthening and developing the country and uplifting the quality of life of its people.

He is one of the few who were involved in both the nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998. For the Operation Smiling Buddha of 1974, the Peaceful Nuclear Experiment (PNE), he had personally escorted the fissile material (plutonium) during its transportation in absolute secrecy from BARC, Mumbai, to the explosion site at Pokhran, in Rajasthan. Of course, he was totally responsible for the physics of the entire device.

This story is from the January 05, 2025 edition of Hindustan Times Pune.

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This story is from the January 05, 2025 edition of Hindustan Times Pune.

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