Anil Kakodkar (born 11 November 1943) is an Indian nuclear engineer who was chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy from 2000 to 2009. He earlier directed the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). He was part of the teams behind India’s nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998, led the design of the Dhruva research reactor and helped negotiate the India–United States civil nuclear agreement. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 2009.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Anil Kakodkar |
| Born | 11 November 1943, Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Age | 82 |
| Field | Nuclear and mechanical engineering |
| Education | VJTI, University of Bombay (B.E. 1963); University of Nottingham (M.Sc. 1969) |
| Offices | Director, BARC (1996–2000); Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (2000–2009) |
| Known for | Dhruva reactor, Pokhran tests, thorium programme |
| Honours | Padma Shri (1998), Padma Bhushan (1999), Padma Vibhushan (2009) |
Early Life
Kakodkar was born in the princely state of Barwani, now in Madhya Pradesh. His parents, Purushottam and Kamala Kakodkar, were both Gandhian freedom fighters, and his mother raised him largely on her own. After early schooling in Barwani and Khargone he moved to Mumbai, studied at Ruparel College and graduated in mechanical engineering from the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) in 1963.
Career
Kakodkar joined BARC in 1964. He took a master’s degree in experimental stress analysis at the University of Nottingham in 1969. He was a member of the core team for the “peaceful nuclear explosion” at Pokhran in 1974. He led the design and construction of Dhruva, a 100-megawatt research reactor that started up in 1985, built entirely with Indian technology. He also directed the difficult repair of the two reactors at Kalpakkam and worked on India’s pressurised heavy water reactors, which became the backbone of its nuclear power programme.
Kakodkar became director of BARC in 1996. In May 1998 he was one of the leaders of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, working alongside A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and R. Chidambaram.
As chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission he pushed for self-reliance, especially the use of India’s large reserves of thorium as nuclear fuel, and championed the design of the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor. He was closely involved in negotiating the 2008 civil nuclear agreement with the United States, insisting that India’s strategic programme and fast breeder reactors stay outside international inspection.
After retiring he chaired committees on railway safety and on the reform of the Indian Institutes of Technology, and he has chaired the Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission in Maharashtra. He continues the work begun by Homi Bhabha as an advocate of nuclear energy for India.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Anil Kakodkar born?
Anil Kakodkar was born on 11 November 1943 in Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, India and is 82 years old.
What is Anil Kakodkar known for?
Known for: Dhruva reactor, Pokhran tests, thorium programme.
What honours has Anil Kakodkar received?
Padma Shri (1998), Padma Bhushan (1999), Padma Vibhushan (2009).
Featured image: Anil Kakodkar addresses the 46th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, September 2002. Photo by IAEA Imagebank, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
