Left to right: A.K. De, S.D. Soman, A. Gopalakrishnan and S.P. Sukhatme at AERB Day, November 2002. Photo: AERB
- A. Gopalakrishnan passed away on October 9. He was chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board in 1993-1996 and was associated with the nuclear power sector for four decades.
- AGK, as he was popularly known, made significant contributions at BHEL and CMERI and to the development of fluidised bed boilers, combined cycle power plants and nuclear submarines.
- His work and opinions brought him in conflict with the technology import lobby and with the Indian government, the latter over the 123 nuclear deal with the US.
- AGK also strongly advocated against the Indian government’s attempt to stifle even the marginal autonomy the AERB had, especially via the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill.
The strength of Adinarayana Gopalakrishnan Thampi – popularly known as AGK – was his knowledge of the subject and a no-nonsense approach to the application of that knowledge. His weakness was his loyalty to science rather than the managers of science.
AGK passed away on October 9 at the age of 85. He is survived by two daughters.
He retired from a post that was equivalent to the secretary to the Government of India. AGK was an excellent illustration of a man who was willing to pay a price for his principles and the principles themselves standing up for him. India’s scientific and technological establishments can only make a dent in the world of science and technology when there are many more AGKs.
He excelled in studies and sports. After graduating with a gold medal, AGK’s long association with the nuclear power sector began, with his appointment as an assistant reactor physicist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay, in 1959-1961. The lure for acquisition of further knowledge took him to the California Institute of Technology (a.k.a. Caltech).
Homi Jehangir Bhabha, the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, used to personally approve any resignation submitted by younger colleagues. Before AGK left, Bhabha gave him a chalk piece and a problem. AGK’s solution on the blackboard impressed Bhabha, who accepted his resignation on the promise that he would return from Caltech to serve the country. However, Bhabha tragically died in an air crash in January 1966 and the promise remained hanging in the air.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) was establishing an R&D unit with an ambitious goal of developing products and systems independent of collaborations and to understand in-depth both the performance and failure of its equipment. AGK was just the person BHEL was looking for. He did not just establish the BHEL R&D unit for BHEL products but also made it a vendor of research and product development for the defence and other industrial establishments.
Like Bhabha, AGK devoted a lot of effort in encouraging and developing younger researchers. For BHEL, he helped develop several products and systems, like fluidised bed boilers and combined cycle power plants, among other things. Had these systems been given their due, India’s high-ash Coal would have been utilised more efficiently and with less pollution.
Several products and systems such as the nuclear submarine and high-voltage direct current were jointly developed with research establishments like the Atomic Energy Commission and with defence laboratories. (Between 1976 and 1986, he played a key role in India’s nuclear submarine ‘advanced technology vessel’ project as well.) It was but natural that AGK was a threat to the technology import lobby, which eventually made sure he was eased out.
When an internal review of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research recommended closing the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), AGK made a last-ditch effort to revive the laboratory. Under his guidance, the laboratory not only bounced back but also became a backbone for local industrial units that desperately needed research backup. His efforts attracted the attention of the then chief minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu, who gave him enthusiastic support.
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Both within India and abroad, experts had raised serious questions about the independence of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), and there was a need to (re)establish its credibility. AGK was inducted into AERB as its chairman to do just that, in 1993. As the chairman – a post he occupied until 1996 – AGK was closely engaged with issues related to nuclear safety.
According to a note published by AERB after his passing: “During his tenure, AERB addressed major regulatory challenges such as safety review and assessment of fire in the Narora turbine building and regulation of X-ray equipment in the country. The US-India dialogue for co-operation in nuclear safety regulation began in July 1994, under his chairmanship.”
He was also concerned with the way in which the nuclear establishment operated and strongly advocated for the independence of the regulator from the government.
After his retirement, AGK didn’t quietly slip into the shadows. A spectrum of people, ranging from scientists to politicians and mediapersons, sought him out, especially when the Indo-US nuclear deal signed in 2009 was under debate – the deal that had the Communists withdraw support from the UPA I government. AGK was an outspoken critic of the manner in which the US nuclear deal had concluded, as he felt that safety issues were being compromised.
He also strongly advocated against the Indian government’s attempt to stifle even the marginal autonomy that the AERB had. The government at this time was promulgating the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill 2011, which gave it undue oversight and powers to interfere in the AERB’s functioning. All of this meant the government began to sideline AGK, despite his experience and expertise, he continued with his principled opposition.
In 1994, he served as chairman of the 15 Nations Committee that finalised the Convention on Nuclear Safety. He was a senior research fellow at the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School from 2000 to 2002. He was also a professor of energy and safety for more than five years from 2003 at the Administrative Staff College in Hyderabad.
He was a prolific writer on India’s nuclear programme and its implementation, with many of his writings being published widely in the media.
AGK will always remain a role-model for young scientists and technologists who believe that India cannot become a nation to be reckoned with without a strong and self-reliant scientific and technological base. The relevant scientific and technological establishments can only make a dent in the world of science and technology when there are many more AGKs.
K. Ashok Rao is patron, All India Power Engineers Forum, and can be reached at kashokrao at gmail dot com.