Homi Sethna
Encyclopedia
Homi Nusserwanji Sethna (Hindi: होमी सेठना; August 24, 1923 – September 5, 2010), PhD
, was an India
n nuclear scientist and a chemical engineer
, who remained the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India
during Indian first nuclear test, codename Smiling Buddha
in Pokhran Test Range
in 1974. He was the primary and central figure in India's civilian nuclear program as well as the construction of nuclear power plants.
He was awarded the second highest civilian award the Padma Vibhushan
in 1975, by Government of India
.
Earlier in his career, he had full technical responsibility for setting up of the thorium extraction plant at Alwaye, Kerala
India, for separation of rare earth from monazite
sands.
, Mumbai
and the University of Michigan
Ann Arbor.
, in 1976 he became the first chairman of Maharashtra Academy of Sciences
, located in Pune, Maharashtra.
plant and the plant for the production of nuclear grade uranium
metal at Trombay
, India. His first major challenging assignment was the setting up of the Plutonium
Plant at Trombay in 1959. This was designed and constructed entirely by Indian scientists and engineers under H. N. Sethna as the Project Engineer. The Uranium Mill at Jaduguda, Bihar was also constructed under his guidance in 1967. He was also the Project Manager of a 40 MW reactor called Canada-India Reactor in 1956-58.
, Project Smiling Buddha
in India on May 18, 1974, and in 1975, Homi Sethna, then chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission
, Raja Ramanna
and Nag Chaudhuri (head of the DRDO) received the Padma Vibhushan
- India's second highest civilian award.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, was an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n nuclear scientist and a chemical engineer
Chemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
, who remained the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India
Atomic Energy Commission of India
The Atomic Energy Commission is a governing body functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy , Government of India. The DAE is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.- History :...
during Indian first nuclear test, codename Smiling Buddha
Smiling Buddha
The Smiling Buddha, formally designated as Pokhran-I, was the codename given to Republic of India's first nuclear test explosion that took place at the long-constructed Indian Army base, Pokhran Test Range at Pokhran municipality, Rajasthan state on 18 May 1974 at 8:05 a.m....
in Pokhran Test Range
Pokhran
Pokhran is a city and a municipality located in Jaisalmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a remote location in the Thar Desert region and served as the test site for India's first underground nuclear weapon detonation.-Geography:Pokhran http://marupradesh.org/ located at...
in 1974. He was the primary and central figure in India's civilian nuclear program as well as the construction of nuclear power plants.
He was awarded the second highest civilian award the Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
in 1975, by Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
Earlier in his career, he had full technical responsibility for setting up of the thorium extraction plant at Alwaye, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
India, for separation of rare earth from monazite
Monazite
Monazite is a reddish-brown phosphate mineral containing rare earth metals. It occurs usually in small isolated crystals. There are actually at least four different kinds of monazite, depending on relative elemental composition of the mineral:...
sands.
Early life and education
He did his schooling from St. Xavier's High School, FortSt. Xavier's High School, Fort
St. Xavier's High School, Fort is an English medium school for boys in Fort, Mumbai, India.- History :St. Xavier's was established in 1869 by the Jesuits in the neo-gothic building it occupies to this day. Fragments of its history are visible in the corridors of the primary section in the form of...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Ann Arbor.
Career
He was formerly Chairman of Atomic Energy CommissionAtomic Energy Commission of India
The Atomic Energy Commission is a governing body functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy , Government of India. The DAE is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.- History :...
, in 1976 he became the first chairman of Maharashtra Academy of Sciences
Maharashtra Academy of Sciences
Maharashtra Academy of Sciences is a learned society whose head offices are located in Pune, Maharashtra, India.The society was established in 1976 with the aim of promoting science and examining the scientific and technological issues affecting the state. Dr. Homi Sethna, Chairman of Indian Atomic...
, located in Pune, Maharashtra.
Head of Trombay Nuclear Facility
He completed the construction of the ThoriumThorium
Thorium is a natural radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder....
plant and the plant for the production of nuclear grade uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
metal at Trombay
Trombay
Trombay is a northeastern suburb in Mumbai, India, with Mankhurd as the closest railway station on the Harbour Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway.-History:...
, India. His first major challenging assignment was the setting up of the Plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
Plant at Trombay in 1959. This was designed and constructed entirely by Indian scientists and engineers under H. N. Sethna as the Project Engineer. The Uranium Mill at Jaduguda, Bihar was also constructed under his guidance in 1967. He was also the Project Manager of a 40 MW reactor called Canada-India Reactor in 1956-58.
Indian atomic test of 1974
He was the guiding force behind the first peaceful nuclear explosionSmiling Buddha
The Smiling Buddha, formally designated as Pokhran-I, was the codename given to Republic of India's first nuclear test explosion that took place at the long-constructed Indian Army base, Pokhran Test Range at Pokhran municipality, Rajasthan state on 18 May 1974 at 8:05 a.m....
, Project Smiling Buddha
Smiling Buddha
The Smiling Buddha, formally designated as Pokhran-I, was the codename given to Republic of India's first nuclear test explosion that took place at the long-constructed Indian Army base, Pokhran Test Range at Pokhran municipality, Rajasthan state on 18 May 1974 at 8:05 a.m....
in India on May 18, 1974, and in 1975, Homi Sethna, then chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission
Atomic Energy Commission of India
The Atomic Energy Commission is a governing body functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy , Government of India. The DAE is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.- History :...
, Raja Ramanna
Raja Ramanna
Raja Ramanna , D.Phil., was an Indian nuclear scientist and a prominent physicist, is best known for his leadership directing the research integral for the development of Indian nuclear programme in its early stages. Having started and joined the nuclear programme in 1964, Ramanna worked under...
and Nag Chaudhuri (head of the DRDO) received the Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
- India's second highest civilian award.
Awards
- 1959: Padma ShriPadma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
- 1960: SS Bhatnagar Prize
- 1966: Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
- 1967: University of Michigan Sesquicentennial Award
- 1975: Padma VibhushanPadma VibhushanThe Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
External links
- Homi N. Sethna on 123 Nuclear deal The HinduThe HinduThe Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
.