Dr R Chidambaram (1936-2025): LIGO to Ayurveda, ‘nuclear man’ believed in research to solve societal problems

He backed several mega science projects, including the National Supercomputing Mission, or the mission on quantum technologies.

And he also pushed for the development of cleaner and more efficient thermal power plants, backed research in Ayurveda, and set up a platform for interaction between academia and industry on research and development in the automobile sector.

R A Mashelkar, former DG of CSIR, said Chidambaram was “in fact a very interesting Principal Scientific Advisor”.

“Of course, he would forever be known as the nuclear man, and rightly so. But look at what he was doing elsewhere. The intervention in Ayurveda, for example. It was an idea originally proposed by Dr M S Valiathan, and Chidambaram began implementing it. It was about understanding the biology of Ayurveda. He funded a number of projects that looked at integrating Ayurveda with modern medicine,” said Mashelkar.

“Similar were his initiatives on climate change or rural technologies. He was a believer in directed research, meaning scientific research should be directed towards a purpose and objective, solving societal problems, and serving peoples’ needs,” Mashelkar added.

Chidambaram believed it was important for India to have all-round development. In a book he co-authored with fellow nuclear scientist Suresh Gangotra last year, he wrote, “I have always said that national development and national security are two sides of the same coin. Development without security is vulnerable; security without development is meaningless.”

“The India of my dreams has always been one which is economically developed, scientifically advanced and militarily strong. Our technology needs range from nuclear and space to rural development,” he wrote.

After his stint as PSA ended, Chidambaram continued to maintain and attend an office at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai, where he was quite active in meeting and talking to students and scientists.

Former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan remembered Chidambaram as one of his “finest and valued colleagues”. “His talents spread across several areas of science, technology development and planning. He played a crucial role in moving India to higher pedestals of achievements through his extraordinary insights. His absence is sure to be felt not only in scientific community but also in the broader cross-section of intellectual society,” he said.

Former CSIR DG Shekhar Mande said Chidambaram’s extremely endearing personality was also one of the reasons why his advice was valued and he could work so closely with so many PMs across the political spectrum.

“He rose through the ranks yet remained simple and grounded. I remember while serving as the PSA, he was once denied a visa to travel to the US to attend a conference on crystallography, his main specialisation. But he chose not to make an issue out of it, and no one came to know. It was that kind of simplicity,” Mande said.

A key project which saw through during Chidambaram’s tenure as PSA was the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) India, the Indian node in the global network of labs to probe the universe.

Working closely with the PSA office when LIGO India was at the proposal stage, Tarun Souradeep, director of the Raman Research Institute and former LIGO India Spokesperson (Science), recalled invaluable guidance the project had received from Chidambaram.

Soon after receiving the Union Cabinet’s in-principle approval came in 2016 (it got full approval in April 2023), the LIGO India team had called on PM Narendra Modi. “Prior to the meeting, Dr Chidambaram met us at the guest house. He guided us in finalising the presentation and accompanied us throughout the meeting. His interest and understanding of science was deep. He belonged to a generation of scientists who favoured mega science projects in India,” Souradeep recalled.

Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, said, “Dr Chidambaram was a doyen of science and technology, whose contributions furthered India’s nuclear prowess and strategic self-reliance…”