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{{short description|Indian nuclear physicist (born 1943)}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2008}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Anil Kakodkar
| image = Anil_Kakodkar.JPG
| caption =
| office = [[Atomic Energy Commission of India|Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India]]
| term = 2000-2009
| predecessor = [[R. Chidambaram]]
| successor = [[Srikumar Banerjee]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1943|11|11}}
| birth_place = [[Barwani]], [[Central Provinces and Berar]], [[British India]]
| father = [[Purushottam Kakodkar]]
| alma_mater = [[Ruparel College]] [[VJTI]], [[University of Mumbai]] [[University of Nottingham]]
| known_for = [[Operation Shakti]] [[Pokhran-II]] [[Indian nuclear programme|Indian nuclear program]]
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] (1998) [[Padma Bhushan]] (1999) [[Padma Vibhushan]] (2009)<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref> [[Gomant Vibhushan Award]] (2010) [[Maharashtra Bhushan]] (2011) [[G-Files awards]] (2015)
| module =
{{Infobox scientist
|embed =yes
| field = Mechanical Engineering, nuclear physics and nuclear power
| work_institution = [[Atomic Energy Commission of India]] [[Department of Atomic Energy]] [[Bhabha Atomic Research Centre]] (BARC)
}}
}}

[[File:The Chairman Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Atomic Energy Dr. Anil Kokodkar.jpg|thumb|The Chairman Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Atomic Energy Dr. Anil Kokodkar in 2006]]

'''Anil Kakodkar''' (born 11 November 1943) is an Indian [[nuclear power|nuclear]] physicist and mechanical engineer. He was the chairman of the [[Atomic Energy Commission of India]] and the Secretary to the [[Government of India]], he was the Director of the [[Bhabha Atomic Research Centre]], Trombay (or Turbhe) from 1996 to 2000. He was awarded the [[Padma Vibhushan]], India's second highest civilian honour, on 26 January 2009.

Apart from playing a major role in India's nuclear tests asserting sovereignty, Kakodkar champions India's self-reliance on [[thorium]] as a fuel for nuclear energy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thorium reactors more secure: Kakodkar|newspaper=The Hindu|date=8 January 2010|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/Thorium-reactors-more-secure-Kakodkar/article16836532.ece|last1=Sunderarajan|first1=P.}}</ref>

==Early life==
Kakodkar was born on 11 November 1943 in [[Barwani]] [[princely state]] (present day [[Madhya Pradesh]] state) to Kamala Kakodkar and [[Purushottam Kakodkar]], both [[Gandhian]] freedom fighters. He had his early education at [[Barwani]] and at Khargone, until moving to [[Mumbai]] for post-matriculation studies.

Kakodkar graduated from [[Ruparel College]], then from [[VJTI]], [[University of Mumbai]] with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1963. He joined the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in 1964. He obtained a master's degree in experimental stress analysis from the [[University of Nottingham]] in 1969.

==Career==
He joined the Reactor Engineering Division of the BARC and played a key role in design and construction of the [[Dhruva reactor]], a completely original but high-tech project. He was a part of the core team of architects of India's Peaceful Nuclear Tests in 1974 and 1998. Further he has led the indigenous development in India's Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor Technology. He worked in the rehabilitation of the two reactors at Kalpakkam and the first unit at Rawatbhata, which at one stage were on the verge of being written off.

In 1996 he became Director of the BARC and since 2000 he has been leading the Atomic Energy Commission of India and also is the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. He has published over 250 scientific papers.

He believes that India should be self-reliant in energy, especially by use of the cheap national thorium resources.<ref>{{cite web|title=India aims to build World's First Thorium ADS|url=http://www.thoriumenergyworld.com/news/india-aims-to-build-worlds-first-thorium-ads}}</ref> He continues to engage in designing the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor, that uses thorium-uranium 233 as the primary energy source with plutonium as the driver fuel. The unique reactor system, with simplified but safe technology, will generate 75 per cent of electricity from thorium.<ref>{{cite web|title=Harnessing thorium for nuclear power challenges ahead by Anil Kakodkar at ThEC15|website = [[YouTube]]| date=15 December 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG-LxI50D_4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/tG-LxI50D_4 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Other positions==

* [https://mkcl.org Kakodkar] is a member of many boards, commissions, and other organisations. Some of them are:

* Chairman, Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay – 2006–15.<ref name="http://www.anilkakodkar.in/index.php?tp=1">{{Cite web|url=http://anilkakodkar.in/index.php/current-key-engagements|title = Current Key Engagements}}</ref>
* Chairman, Board of Directors of Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited, Pune (current).<ref name="http://mkcl.org/#/profile/20160001">{{Cite web|url=http://mkcl.org/#/profile/20160001|title = Home {{pipe}} MKCL}}</ref>
* Member, Atomic Energy Commission<ref name="http://www.anilkakodkar.in/index.php?tp=1" />
* Member, ONGC Energy Centre Trust<ref name="http://www.anilkakodkar.in/index.php?tp=1" />
* Chairman, empowered committee on IIT reforms<ref name="http://www.anilkakodkar.in/index.php?tp=1" />
* Presently updated April-2014 he is serving as a director on the central board of [[Reserve Bank of India]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rbi.org.in/scripts/AboutusDisplay.aspx#CB |title= Reserve Bank of India - About Us|website=rbi.org.in |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607022939/http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/AboutUsDisplay.aspx |archive-date=7 June 2014}}</ref>
*He is a Fellow of the [[Indian National Academy of Engineering]] and served as its president during 1999–2000.
*He is a Fellow of the [[Indian Academy of Sciences]], the National Academy of Sciences, India and the [[Maharashtra Academy of Sciences]].
*He is a member of the—International Nuclear Energy Academy and Honorary member of the World Innovation Foundation. He was member of the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG) during 1999–2002
*He is on the board of Governors of [[VJTI]], [[Mumbai]]
*He will head Rail safety committee as per Rail budget speech by Railway Minister in 2012
*He is chairman Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission, Government of Maharashtra, Mantralaya, Mumbai.
*He is chairman of steering and monitoring committee of [[BETiC|Biomedical Engineering and Technology (incubation) Centre]], a network of 11 engineering and medical institutes for medical device innovation.
*He is chairperson of Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar.
*He is Chairman of Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited
==Books==
'''Fire and Fury''' ''Transforming India's Strategic Identity'' -- authored by Anil Kakodkar and Suresh Gangotra
==Awards==
[[File:Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Padma Vibhushan to the Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Dr. Anil Kakodkar, at the Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 31, 2009.jpg|thumb|The former President Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Padma Vibhushan to the then Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Dr. Anil Kakodkar, at the Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on 31 March 2009]]
===National awards===
*[[Padma Shri]] in 1998<ref name="Padma Awards" />
*[[Padma Bhushan]] in 1999<ref name="Padma Awards" />
*[[Padma Vibhushan]] in 2009

===Other awards===
*Highest civilian award of the Maharashtra state-[[Maharashtra Bhushan Award]] (2011–2012)<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 April 2012 |title=Anil Kakodkar to get 'Maharashtra Bhushan' award |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/anil-kakodkar-to-get-maharashtra-bhushan-award-468768.html |access-date=27 July 2022 |website=news18}}</ref>
*Highest civilian award of the Goa state-[[Gomant Vibhushan Award]] (2010)<ref>{{cite news | title = India will become energy-independent: Kakodkar|work=The Hindu | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-will-become-energyindependent-kakodkar/article441678.ece | date=30 May 2010|access-date = 16 August 2014 | first = Prakash | last = Kamat }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = First Gomant Vibhushan award presented to Dr Anil Kakodkar | work = Target Goa | url = http://www.targetgoa.com/goabuzzdet.php?bzid=363&&id= | date = 30 May 2010 | access-date = 16 August 2014 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140819082633/http://www.targetgoa.com/goabuzzdet.php?bzid=363&&id= | archive-date = 19 August 2014 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>
*Hari Om Ashram Prerit Vikram Sarabhai Award (1988)
*[[H K Firodia awards|H. K. Firodia Award]] for Excellence in Science and Technology (1997)
*Rockwell Medal for Excellence in Technology (1997)
*[[FICCI]] Award for outstanding contribution to Nuclear Science and Technology (1997–98)
*ANACON – 1998 Life Time Achievement Award for Nuclear Sciences
*Indian Science Congress Association's H. J. Bhabha Memorial Award (1999–2000)
*Godavari Gaurav Award (2000)
*Dr. Y. Nayudamma Memorial Award (2002)
*Chemtech Foundation's Achiever of the Year Award for Energy (2002)
*Gujar Mal Modi Innovative Science and Technology Award in 2004.
*Homi Bhabha Lifetime Achievement Award 2010.
*Acharya Varahmihir Award (2004) by Varahmihir Institute of Scientific Heritage and Research, Ujjain (M.P.), India

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.world-nuclear.org/sym/2002/kakodkarbio.htm Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209114819/http://www.world-nuclear.org/sym/2002/kakodkarbio.htm |date=9 February 2014 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060504051408/http://www.dae.gov.in/aec.htm Atomic Energy Commission of India]
*{{cite web | url=https://www.khulke.com/roundtable/recorded/6454db6604db8bbf6488b12b | title= Interview: Pokhran – 1998: Inside Story By Dr Anil Kakodkar | publisher=Khulke| date=11 May 1998 | access-date=7 September 2023}}

{{1900s Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering}}
{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1990–99}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kakodkar, Anil}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Marathi people]]
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Nottingham]]
[[Category:Indian mechanical engineers]]
[[Category:Indian physicists|nuclear physicists]]
[[Category:Engineers from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Indian nuclear physicists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Nuclear technology in India| physicists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Maharashtra Bhushan Award]]
[[Category:Mechanical engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:People from Barwani]]
[[Category:D. G. Ruparel College alumni]]

Anil Kakodkar - Revision history

TomOcampo9313 at 13:21, 23 March 2026