SynopsisIn March 2006, George W. Bush, President of the United States of America, visited India to finalize the landmark civil nuclear deal between the two countries. But far from the hum of expectations, the US negotiating team was hard at work in South Block—making every possible attempt to alleviate the concerns raised by Anil Kakodkar, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). Kakodkar’s firmness paid off and the US team conceded to the demands made in the interest of India’s strategic autonomy. Little wonder then that when Kakodkar was introduced to President Bush, he asked, ‘So you are that Kakodkar? Are you happy?’
It is this courage of conviction and firm resolve that has defined the remarkable life and times of Anil Kakodkar, one of India’s most respected nuclear scientists. Fire and Fury is a recollection of his profound journey—from humble beginnings in Madhya Pradesh to the highest office of the Chairman, AEC—through different events and watershed moments in the country’s atomic energy programme over the past forty-five years.
It chronicles the many inflection points of the programme as seen through the eyes of one of the chief architects of that journey.
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About the author
Dr. Anil Kakodkar played a key role in the design and construction of Dhruva. He has contributed immensely in the indigenous development of a large number of critical systems of Indian PHWRs. During his career spanning four and a half decades, he has built a competent team of highly specialized Scientists and Engineers, for the Reactor Programme. He also advocated the development of technologies, for the use of Thorium, taking into account our limited uranium resources. To gain industrial scale experience in the use of Thorium, he conceptualized the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor, which aims to derive two thirds of its power from Thorium. He conceptualized part of the 9th Five Year Plan dealing with R&D sector, and made several important changes in the organization structure of the Centre. The 1998 Pokhran tests were conducted under his tenure. India became a part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) under the Directorship of Dr. Kakodkar. Under the aegis of the Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Dr. Kakodkar conceptualized a unique PhD programme. He was also instrumental in the creation of the UGC-DAE Consortium, wherein the R&D facilities of DAE are made available to University students.
Kakodkar has been a key contributor to India’s strategic programme. He was amongst the chosen few involved in the first successful Peaceful Nuclear Explosion Experiment that India conducted on May 18, 1974 at Pokhran. And later, he played a key role in the series of successful Nuclear Tests conducted during May 1998, again at Pokhran. India also demonstrated nuclear submarine powerpack technology under Kakodkar’s leadership.