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Homi Nusserwanji Sethna | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1923-08-24)24 August 1923 |
| Died | 5 September 2010(2010-09-05) (aged 87) |
| Alma mater | University Department of Chemical Technology University of Michigan Ann Arbor |
| Known for | Indian nuclear programme Smiling Buddha Operation Shakti |
| Awards | Padma Shri (1959) Padma Bhushan (1966) Padma Vibhushan (1975) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemical Engineering |
| Institutions | Atomic Energy Commission of India |
Homi Sethna | |
|---|---|
| Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India | |
| In office 1972-1983 | |
| Preceded by | Vikram Sarabhai |
| Succeeded by | Raja Ramanna |
| Sheriff of Mumbai | |
| In office 1991-1992 | |
| Preceded by | Saad Alim Bagban |
| Succeeded by | Bakul Rajani Patel |
Homi Nusserwanji Sethna (24 August 1923 – 5 September 2010) was an Indiannuclear scientist and achemical engineer, gaining international fame as the Chairman of theAtomic Energy Commission (India) during the time when the first nuclear test, codenameSmiling Buddha inPokhran Test Range in 1974 was conducted.[1][2] He was the primary and central figure in India's civilian nuclear program as well as the construction of nuclear power plants. In 1991, he was appointed asSheriff of Mumbai.
He was awarded the second highest civilian award thePadma Vibhushan in 1975, byGovernment of India.
Earlier in his career, he had full technical responsibility for setting up of theThorium extraction plant atAlwaye,Kerala India, for separation of rare earth frommonazite sands.
Homi Sethna was born to aParsi family on 24 August 1923 inBombay (now Mumbai).[3] He did his schooling fromSt. Xavier's High School, Fort,Bombay.[4] He studiedchemical engineering atUniversity Department of Chemical Technology and theUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor.
Homi Sethna's younger brother was the noted lawyer Rusi Sethna. Incidentally, Rusi Sethna's daughter, Behrouz Mistry, is the wife of Shapoorji Mistry, elder son ofPallonji Mistry and elder brother ofCyrus Mistry.
He was formerly Chairman ofAtomic Energy Commission, in 1976 he became the first chairman ofMaharashtra Academy of Sciences, located in Pune, Maharashtra.
He completed the construction of theThorium plant and the plant for the production of nuclear gradeuranium metal atTrombay, India. His first major challenging assignment was the setting up of thePlutonium Plant at Trombay in 1959. This was designed and constructed entirely by Indian scientists and engineers under H. N. Sethna as the Project Engineer. TheUranium Mill at Jaduguda, Jharkhand 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.
He was the guiding force behind the firstpeaceful nuclear explosion,Project Smiling Buddha in India on 18 May 1974,[5] and in 1975, Homi Sethna, then chairman of theAtomic Energy Commission,Raja Ramanna andBasanti Dulal Nagchaudhuri (head of theDRDO) received thePadma Vibhushan.
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