Atomic Energy Commission of India

The Atomic Energy Commission of India is the governing body of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India. The DAE is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.

Atomic Energy Commission of India
Agency overview
Formed3 August 1948 (1948-08-03)
Preceding agency
  • Department of Scientific Research
HeadquartersMumbai, Maharashtra
Annual budget₹ 9,410 cr (FY 2023)
Agency executive
  • Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Chairman
Parent departmentDepartment of Atomic Energy, Government of India
Websitehttps://dae.gov.in/atomic-energy-commission/

The Indian Atomic Energy Commission was set up on 3 August 1948 under the late Department of Scientific Research. A resolution passed by the Government of India later replaced the commission by "Atomic Energy Commission of India" on 1 March 1954 under the Department of Atomic Energy with Homi J. Bhabha as secretary and more financial and executive powers, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.[1]

The functions of the Atomic Energy Commission are: (i) to organize research in atomic science in the country (ii) to train atomic scientists in the country (iii) to promote nuclear research in commission's own laboratories in India (iv) to undertake prospecting of atomic minerals in India and to extract such minerals for use on industrial scale.

India achieved a major success in terms of breakthrough in science and technology when the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) detonated an underground nuclear device at Pokhran in the deserts of Rajasthan on 18 May, 1974.[2]

It has five research centres in India viz.

It also gives financial assistance to autonomous national institutes doing research in the field and has various other organisations under it.

Chairpersons

List of Chairpersons of Atomic Energy Commission of India

  1. Homi Bhabha (1948–1966)
  2. Vikram Sarabhai (1966–1971)
  3. H.N. Sethna (1972–1983)
  4. Raja Ramanna (1983–1987)
  5. M.R. Srinivasan (1987–1990)
  6. P.K. Iyengar (1990–1993)
  7. R. Chidambaram (1993–2000)
  8. Anil Kakodkar (2000–2009)
  9. Srikumar Banerjee (2009–2012)
  10. Ratan Kumar Sinha (2012–2015)
  11. Sekhar Basu (2015–2018)
  12. K.N. Vyas (2018–2023)
  13. Ajit Kumar Mohanty (2023–present)[3]

References
  1. Chandra, Bipan; Mukherjee, Aditya; Mukherjee, Mridula (2008). India Since Independence. Penguin Books India. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-14-310409-4.
  2. Chandra, Bipan; Mukherjee, Aditya; Mukherjee, Mridula (2008). India Since Independence. Penguin Books India. p. 310. ISBN 978-0-14-310409-4.
  3. "BARC Director K N Vyas appointed Atomic Energy Commission chief". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 18 September 2018.
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