Architect of India's nuclear power programme dies

Eminent scientist and former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Malur Ramasamy Srinivasan, who played a key role in the development of India's indigenous nuclear power programme and pressurised heavy-water reactor, died on Tuesday, his family said.

- Snehal Fernandes

MUMBAI: He was 95.

The veteran scientist is survived by his wife and a daughter. Srinivasan's daughter Sharda said her father suddenly took ill on Monday night and passed away peacefully at a hospital in Oooty in Tamil Nadu at 4 a.m. on Tuesday. "Appa (father) you always said that work was duty and that I should not miss a day of work regardless of other things...but still this is not fair. I had just told you of our plans to have the 95th celebration of your life's work [a] couple of days back," she wrote in a Facebook post, recalling her father's dedication to work. She added that her mother was with him when he passed away.

In its tribute, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) recalled Srinivasan as "a visionary engineer, institution builder, and policy architect." "He fostered a culture of collaboration among engineers, scientists, and industries, strengthening the national ecosystem for nuclear energy development. Dr Srinivasan's legacy is etched into the very framework of India's peaceful nuclear energy programme."