Tribute to Dr. R. Chidambaram

By Madhuri Thathachari

It is with great sorrow I learnt of Dr. R. Chidambaram’s demise on Jan. 4, 2025. He was not only an outstanding, distinguished and brilliant Scientist but also was a great human being. It was my good fortune that I came to know him personally because he was a friend of both my husband Prof. Y.T. Thathachari and my brother Prof. R. Srinivasan, who were both pursuing research at the Physics Department of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bangalore. Dr. Chidambaram told me he was two years junior to them.

Contributions to Science

I would like to share a few details about his immense contributions to Science and to India. Dr. Chidambaram made significant contributions in Neutron Crystallography, high pressure studies in Materials Science and in the nuclear weapons project of the Government of India. He got his B.Sc Honours in Physics in 1956, studying in Presidency College, Chennai and stood first in the University. He joined the Indian Institute of Science for his Ph.D and worked on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. He got his Ph.D degree in 1962 and was awarded the Martin Foster Medal for the Best Thesis. 

He joined the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1962.  Here he was involved in development work in different areas as he rose to the position of Director, BARC in 1990, and later as Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission in 1993.

Dr. Chidambaram and his colleagues developed the necessary techniques and instrumentation for neutron diffraction around the Dhruva Reactor.  They also developed powder neutron diffraction techniques under high pressure and made significant contributions to Crystallography and Materials Science. In 1967, Dr. Chidambaram joined the nuclear weapons designing effort along with his fellow scientists in BARC.

He was part of a team of scientists who participated in and supervised India’s first nuclear test, code-named Smiling Buddha, and was one of the scientists who was honoured by Indian Premier Indira Gandhi. His key participation in the design and successful execution of Operation Smiling Buddha saw him leading the DAE team of Operation Shakti in 1998.

As the Director of BARC, he initiated the development of super-computers, which now have multi-teraflop speed capability.

 From 2001, he was Principal Scientific Adviser and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Government of India.  Among his many initiatives was the establishment of SETS (Society for Electronic Transactions and Security). Along with National Informatics Centre, he helped conceptualise and supervise the setting up of the high-speed ‘National Knowledge Network’ to connect about 1,500 educational and research institutions in India.

Awards and honours

The Government of India conferred on him the Padma Shri in 1975 and Padma Vibhushan in 1999.  He was the Chairman of the Board of Governors of several IITs and CSIR.  He was the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1994-1995.  He was also a member of the Commission of Eminent Persons appointed by the Director-General, IAEA, in 2008 to prepare a report on “The Role of the IAEA to 2020 and Beyond.”

Dr. Chidambaram has won many awards and honours.  The awards he has won for his research and development works are too numerous to be enumerated here but I have to mention that it was a great honour for us when he agreed to accept our Bhramara Trust’s Lifetime Achievement Award at a function in Mysuru.

His greatness was matched by his humility and simplicity. When I wrote to him requesting him to present the first “Y.T. Thathachari Prestigious Award for Outstanding Research in New Areas of Science,” he replied immediately saying he would consider it an honour to present the Award since he knew Thathachari very well.

Further he wrote, “You decide the time and date that is convenient for the Governor Ms. Rama Devi and yourself and let me know. I will make myself available.” At that time he was the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India and was an extremely busy person.

Gives a slip to guards

Another humorous incident showing his simplicity was when he came to receive the Bhramara’s Lifetime Achievement Award.  I had invited him to have breakfast in our home. He agreed and came. At that time he was provided the highest Z level security. The officers with guns, surrounding him, to protect him came to our house. I invited them also to have breakfast but they said they had to guard the house to protect Dr. Chidambaram.

My brother, daughter and I had breakfast with Dr. Chidambaram. After breakfast my brother requested Dr. Chidambaram to visit his house also. Dr. Chidambaram agreed spontaneously. The guards were at the front entrance. Dr. Chidambaram asked me if there was another entrance. I told him the side entrance was next to my brother’s house. He used that entrance and slipped out of my house without attracting the guard’s attention.

After a few minutes the chief of the guards came and asked me where Dr. Chidambaram was. When I told him he had gone to visit my brother next door he was aghast. The guard said, ‘He always enjoys giving us the slip.’ I told him, “Please do not worry. My brother’s house is right next door and he will be back soon.” Dr. Chidambaram returned through the side entrance, took leave of me and left through the front entrance. The guard pleaded with him, “Please do not leave anywhere without our escorting you.”

Dr. Chidambaram chuckled like a small mischievous child. He shunned pompousness and publicity. Great people are always simple and humble.

In his death, the country has lost an eminent pioneering scientist. It is an irreparable loss to me and my brother who enjoyed his warm friendship. Dr. Chidambaram is a role model for everyone to emulate. May his spirit be with us to guide us all.