DAE condoles the sudden demise of Dr Sekhar Basu at Calcutta in the early hours of 24.9.20
He was being treated for COVID 19. He is survived by his wife and son.
Dr. Sekhar Basu served as the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), from 23 October 2015 to 17 September 2018. He was the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), India's premier multi-disciplinary R&D centre from June19, 2012 . He has also worked as the Project Director of Nuclear Submarine Programme and later as the Chief Executive of the Nuclear Recycle Board in the same institute.
Dr. Basu is one of the architects of India’s 80 MWt compact Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR), which powers Arihant, the country’s nuclear-powered submarine
He had also been proactively engaged in the design, development, construction and operation of nuclear recycle plants at Tarapur, Maharashtra and Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, involving reprocessing and nuclear waste management. His efforts are credited with bringing perfection in technology, which provided major boost to the Indian nuclear power programme.
He had accelerated the pace of Nuclear Power deployment in India by getting the approval to construct 10 Pressurized heavy-water reactors (PHWRs) and 2 Pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Under his supervision, DAE has initiated actions for multi-fold rise in uranium exploration and mining in India.
Under his supervision, construction/up-gradation of six hospitals has been initiated for serving about 1.5 Lakh new patients every year. Major thrust has been imparted for the development of indigenous cancer care drugs. He has supervised setting up of first plant in India being commissioned to treat 100 tons/day sludge and produce manure using a fully automatic process at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The plant uses radiation technology to cleanse the sludge reliably and affordably and protects health and environment.
Mega science projects involving high energy Superconducting Accelerators, Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO), International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) have got major boost under the leadership of Sekhar Basu. He focused on pursuing basic research in science and engineering, in addition to pursuing enrichment and other strategic programmes on priority.
Dr. Sekhar Basu has strengthened the public outreach activities for spreading awareness about the technologies fostered by DAE among the general public. In sync with the Startup India Skill India programme, he had put special thrust on deliverables for making spin-off technologies available for emerging entrepreneurs across the country.
Dr. Sekhar Basu was at Kalpakkam for over 18 years and was passionate about this place. He was instrumental in according the approval for the construction of the Palar Check dam at Vayalur near Kalpakkam, which has not only improved the water table in the area, it has also helped the farm cultivation increase many folds.
He has been awarded Honoris Causa Doctorate degrees by 8 universities and was awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.
He was a true visionary, a brilliant technologist & a great nuclear scientist par excellence. His untimely demise is a great loss to the DAE fraternity and nation.
