Eminent nuclear scientist Dr. Rajagopala Chidambaram passed away on January 4, 2025, at the age of 88. He died at Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai due to age-related complications, as confirmed by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) around 3:20 AM. Chidambaram was a pivotal figure in India's nuclear history, notably playing key roles in the Pokhran-I nuclear test in 1974 and the Pokhran-II tests in 1998, which established India as a nuclear weapons state.

Chidambaram was born in 1936 in Chennai and was an alumnus of Presidency College and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He joined the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in 1962 and became its director in 1990. He served as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission from 1993 to 2000 and later as Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India from 2001 to 2018. His contributions to nuclear science earned him prestigious awards, including the Padma Shri in 1975 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999.

Tributes have poured in from various leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who expressed deep sadness over Chidambaram's passing and acknowledged his significant contributions to India's scientific and strategic capabilities. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the DAE, described Chidambaram as a "doyen of science and technology" whose loss is an "irreparable one" for both the scientific community and the nation.

He worked with legends like Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Dr Homi Sethna, Dr Raja Ramanna, Dr M R Srinivasan, Dr P K Iyengar and groomed distinguished scientists like Dr Anil Kakodkar, who succeeded him. 

During the Pokhran-I on 18 May, 1974 (Smiling Buddha), Dr Chidambaram worked closely with Dr Rammana, Dr Sethna and Basanti Dulal Nag Chaudhuri, then Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 

During Pokhran-II on 11 and 13 May, 1998 (Operation Shakti), he worked with then DRDO chief Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who later became the President and Dr Kakodkar. 

Agencies