MUMBAI: A race for the post of chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) is on, as incumbent Srikumar Banerjee is scheduled to retire on April 30. Top contenders include Bhabha Atomic Energy Centre (BARC) Director Ratan Kumar Sinha, Department of Atomic Energy Director (strategic planning group) Ravi B Grover and Nuclear Power Corporation Chairman S K Jain. The AEC chairman would also be the secretary to the Department of Atomic Energy.
Nuclear scientists say it is to be seen whether this time the government breaks the tradition of elevating the BARC chairman to the post of AEC chairman or selects Grover or Jain for the post. They recall the central government had, in the past, appointed M R Srinivasan, the then chairman and managing director of NPC, as the chairman of the AEC.
The government has also initiated an exercise to select a successor to Jain, whose NPC term is to end on May 31 this year. In the fray are the corporation’s director (technical) S A Bhardwaj, director (operations) G Nageswara Rao and director (projects) K C Purohit.
Among them, Bhardwaj, to whom the government gave two years’ extension last year, may face a procedural roadblock as those on extension are generally not considered for the crucial post. The government, thus, may have to choose from Rao and Purohit for the post of the chairman and managing director of the NPC, currently involved in increasing nuclear capacity to 63,000 Mw by 2032.
The appointment for two government agencies comes at a time when there is rising opposition against nuclear projects — both existing and upcoming.
Sources at the DAE say the three officers shortlisted for the AEC chairman’s post are nuclear scientists globally known for their eminence. “As per the government guielines, the contender can assume the AEC chairman’s post up to 66 years,” an official said. “Sinha is currently 61 years old. If appointed as the top boss, he can get a five-year term. On the other hand, Grover and Jain, who are 64 years, can get two years.”
It was in May 2010 that Sinha took over as the BARC director.
His tenure saw the research centre playing a crucial role in loading the first batch of indigenously developed thin-film composite reverse osmosis membranes in the Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Project, replacing the imported elements. Sinha also pursued the programme for the development of manufacturing technologies for advanced fuels for fast breeder reactors and to undertake experimental programme of nanofluids.
As for Grover, he has worked with nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar — a team that was chiefly responsible for the success of the Indo-US negotiations that culminated in the 123 agreement signed in July 2007. Kakodkar and Grover were the technical advisors to the UPA-1 government during negotiations that that led to the nuclear agreement between New Delhi and Wasington. Besides, Grover was the engaged in the formulation of Civil Nuclear Liability Bill and Rules which are currently in place.
As far as Jain is concerned, he was instrumental in expediting the indigenous and foreign reactor-based nuclear capacity addition while taking its opponents on board. After the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in March last year, Jain appointed six task forces to prepare reports suggesting upgradation of nuclear safety measures in India. Jain was also instrumental for the revival of the 2000-Mw Kudankulam project in Tamil Nadu and also the development of the 9,900-Mw Jaitapur nuclear project in Maharashtra.
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