The man who made Pokharan-I possible

“On hearing of his condition, President A.P.J. Kalam visited Ramanna in hospital on Thursday. Kalam reportedly told the doctors that ‘‘he is my guru, do everything to save him’’. Kalam began work at the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) at Ramanna’s behest in the 1970s.

Handpicked by the founder of India’s nuclear programme,

Dr Homi Bhabha, Ramanna’s theory of nuclear fission was established between 1965 and 1968.

‘‘He was a man of tremendous foresight and conviction in India’s scientific capability. He wanted the nation to scale greater heights,’’ recalls Dr. P.K. Iyengar, colleague and long-time friend.

Ramanna rose to become BARC head, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. He was also the scientific advisor to the Defence Minister and was Minister of state of Defence from January to November in 1990.

But Ramanna is known and respected as the brain behind the country’s first nuclear explosion at Pokharan in 1974, as the then director of the physics group at BARC.

A recipient of Padma Vibhushan, Dr Ramanna; ‘‘Raja’’ to his close friends was a well-balanced and jovial person, according to colleagues and subordinates.

A member of the Rajya Sabha till last year, Ramanna founded the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bangalore, to train bureaucrats in developing a scientific temperament.

Piano passion

MUMBAI: Music was close to Ramanna’s heart. Playing the piano and viola, which he started at the age of six, was a passion to him and he played at concerts too even as he balanced other responsibilities of his profession.

One of the two books that he authored was on music: The structure of Music in Raga and western systems. His other book: Years of pilgrimage: An Autobiography.