Man behind Pokhran nuclear tests, physicist Rajagopala Chidambaram, passes away

Chidambaram was a pivotal figure in India’s nuclear history, playing a key role in both the nation’s first nuclear test, Pokhran I (Operation Smiling Buddha) on May 18, 1974, and the second, Pokhran II (Operation Shakti) in 1998. His contributions earned him the Padma Shri in 1975 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999.

Born in Chennai in 1936, Chidambaram was an alumnus of Presidency College in Chennai. He pursued a PhD at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru before joining the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in 1962. His career at BARC culminated in his appointment as director in 1990. In 1993, he became chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, a position he held until 2000.

During his tenure as chairman, India conducted its second series of nuclear tests in 1998, firmly establishing the nation’s strategic nuclear capabilities. Chidambaram was also instrumental in the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement, which ended India’s isolation within the global nuclear community.