PM honours four N-scientists with lifetime achievement awards

NEW DELHI: Four top scientists, including Ravi Bhushan Grover, who played a key role in negotiating the Indo-US nuclear deal, were today conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Awards by Department of Atomic Energy.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also honoured K Balaramamoorthy, who developed non-destructive testing techniques, mathematician R Balasubramanian, and S K Sikka, a key player in the nuclear tests of 1974 and 1998, at a brief ceremony at his official residence here this morning.

Known as India's leading nuclear diplomat, Grover played a key role in opening the international doors for nuclear trade which were shut after the peaceful nuclear experiment of 1974.

He was also in the forefront of talks that resulted in India's entry into the pioneering International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project to tap fusion energy to meet future global power needs.

Grover conceptualised and set up the Homi Bhabha National Institute to meet the human resources requirements of the nuclear programme.

Balaramamoorthy, a former Chief Executive of the Nuclear Fuel Complex, was honoured for his pioneering contribution to the development of non-destructive testing techniques and outstanding work in the field of nuclear fuel and nuclear components fabrication.

Balasubramanian, Director of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, was conferred with the award for his outstanding contribution to the field of higher mathematics, cryptology and theoretical computer science.

Sikka was honoured for his contribution to condensed matter physics and to the strategic programme of the department of atomic energy.