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Dec 27, 1999
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SPECIAL SERIES Anil
Kakodkar, 56
Atomic Scientist
NUKE
STAR RISING
At 56, Anil Kakodkar isn't really young. But
in the timeless world of electrons and neutrons, quarks and mesons, age
accounts for very little. Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC),
and part of the cabal that guides India's nuclear programme, Kakodkar has
so far been a quiet, behind-the-scenes genius. Yet, in the uncertain and
fluid New World Order, Kakodkar might be the man to watch out for. He is
conservative in approach, clear-headed, deeply committed to atomic energy
science, and knows exactly where India's nuclear programme is headed. His
greatest contribution to the future could be the development of nuclear
technology to tap energy from thorium, a radioactive element found in
abundance in India. If Kakodkar cracks thorium, the country's energy
output could triple.
Kakodkar
graduated from Mumbai's Veer Jijabai Technical Institute in 1963 and went
on to get a masters in structural engineering from the UK. A superb
engineer, he is humble, simple and down-to-earth. Kakodkar himself laughs
at the compliment. "I am merely a man who does his duty," he
says simply. In other words, talk softly and carry a big bang.
-Farah
Baria
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