Vanmathiscp at 11:58, 8 February 2026

2026-02-08T11:58:58Z

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{{Short description|Indian nuclear engineer and educationist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = M. P. Parameswaran
| image = Mpparameswaran.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1935|01|18}}
| birth_place = [[Kerala]], [[India]]
| death_date =
| field = [[Nuclear Engineering]]
| work_institution = [[Bhabha Atomic Research Centre]] [[Department of Atomic Energy]]
| alma_mater = [[College of Engineering, Trivandrum]] [[Moscow Power Engineering Institute]]
| doctoral_advisor =
| doctoral_students =
| known_for = Indian Nuclear Programme [[Operation Smiling Buddha]]
| prizes = Books for Neoliterates Award (1962) Basic and Cultural Literature Award (1964) Children's Literature Award (1984)
| religion =
| footnotes =
}}
'''M. P. Parameswaran''' is an Indian [[nuclear engineer]] and educationist, who played an important role in the Indian nuclear programme. In 2022, he was honoured with [[Kerala Awards|Kerala Sree Award]], third highest civilian award given by the [[Government of Kerala]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala declares 1st-ever Padma-inspired awards; MT gets highest honour |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2022/nov/01/kerala-declares-1st-ever-padma-inspired-awards-mt-gets-highest-honour-2513604.html |access-date=2023-01-21 |website=The New Indian Express|date=November 2022 }}</ref>

== Education ==
He was born on 18 January 1935 in [[Kerala]]. In 1956, he received a [[Bachelor's degree]] in [[Engineering]] from the [[College of Engineering, Trivandrum]], Kerala. He then joined [[Bhabha Atomic Research Centre]] (BARC) in [[Bombay]] and continued there till 1975. From 1969 to 1973 he worked as the Assistant Director of the State Institute of Languages in Kerala, on a deputation from BARC. He got a PhD in [[Nuclear Engineering]] from the [[Moscow Power Engineering Institute]] in 1965.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlanta.aidindia.org/events/parameswaran03_flyer.html|title=Talk by Dr MP Parameswaran|accessdate=19 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101026091533/http://atlanta.aidindia.org/events/parameswaran03_flyer.html|archive-date=26 October 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Indian science movement ==
During the 1970s, a [[people's science movement]] called [[Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad]] (KSSP) was formed in Kerala and created a new movement among science teachers and [[Science communication|science communicators]] in the state. He resigned from his job in 1975 to take part in the movement. Since then he has been a full-time activist of the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP). Under his leadership, the KSSP grew into a massive people’s movement and influenced science communicators all over the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiatogether.org/interviews/iview-mpp.htm|title=India Together - A conversation with Interview with Dr. M.P. Parameswaran|accessdate=19 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424133349/http://www.indiatogether.org/interviews/iview-mpp.htm|archive-date=24 April 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Social Movements in India|editor=R. Ray and M. F. Katzen nstein|publisher=Rowman & LittlefieldPublishers|year=2005}}</ref>
[[File:MP Parameshwaran.jpg|thumb|250px|M. P. Parameswaran]]

==Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad==
After KSSP became a success in Kerala, M. P. Parameswaran took steps to enlarge the canvas at the national level. In 1987, as Convener of the National Organising Committee of the [[Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha]], a unique [[communication]] event for India - he significantly contributed to the conceptualisation, organisation and conduct of this massive communication experiment. He had also been instrumental in the setting up of the All India People's Science Network (AIPSN), a common platform of people science movements in India.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bgvs.org/index.php/all-article-categories/73-story-of-bharat-gyan-vigyan-samiti-bgvs|title=Story Of Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS)|accessdate=19 December 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140510053607/http://www.bgvs.org/index.php/all-article-categories/73-story-of-bharat-gyan-vigyan-samiti-bgvs|archivedate=10 May 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1990, he was instrumental in the organisation of the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Jatha in support of the [[National Literacy Mission Programme]], which was organised from 2 October 1990 to 14 November 1990. This led to the formation of Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), which was responsible for the massive [[literacy]] campaign initiated in India.

== Contribution in science and technology ==
[[File:M. P. Parameswaran.jpg|thumb|Dr. M. P. Parameswaran at Thrissur 2014]]
MP is a prolific writer, having written 29 [[popular science]] books in [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] and two in [[English language|English]]. His books give a panoramic view of [[science]]. [[Radioactivity]], atomic science, [[astronomy]], [[mathematics]], [[political science]], [[social science]], [[ecology]] - these are some of the varied subjects he has dealt with in his books. A vision of "A New World - A New India" guides his thoughts and actions.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}} He was the recipient of two national awards, one for science popularisation and another for literacy. He has written more than 300 articles in various [[periodical]]s. He has received [[Government of India]] awards for "Books for Neoliterates" (1962) and "Basic and Cultural Literature" (1964). He also received an Award for Children's Literature in 1982.

He was an active member of the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] for 33 years, before being expelled for writing an ideological book 'Fourth World' which envisions a world based on decentralised democracy and an economic production that is detached from consumerism. The party viewed it as a rejection of Marxist principles.

As Assistant Director of Kerala Institute of Languages, he was instrumental in designing the layout for Malayalam keyboard for typewriters, which was later adopted in the inscript layout for computers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://clickeralam.org/MalReport.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=22 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204222715/http://clickeralam.org/MalReport.pdf |archive-date=4 February 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2008/08039-kerala-order.pdf | title=Malayalam script-adoption of new script for use-orders issued | date=23 March 1971 | publisher=Government of Kerala | accessdate=16 July 2019 }}</ref>

In 2007, he acted in a Malayalam movie named ''AKG'' about the Communist leader A K Gopalan in which M. P. Parameswaran donned the role of Kerala's first Chief Minister [[E. M. S. Namboodiripad]].

He had published the book ''Janakeeya Sasthra Prasthanam'' in 2008. The third edition of the book was recently published.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080627111212/http://aipsn.org/ All India Peoples Science Network]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080708065428/http://www.pragoti.org/node/198 Indo-American Nuclear Deal]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parameswaran, M. P.}}
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:Engineers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian technology writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian nuclear engineers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language writers]]
[[Category:English-language Indian writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educational theorists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian physicists]]
[[Category:Indian male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Scientists from Kerala]]
[[Category:Kerala Sree Award Winners]]

M. P. Parameswaran - Revision history

Vanmathiscp at 11:58, 8 February 2026