Basanti Dulal Nagchaudhuri

Born: 6 September 1917

Died: 25 June 2006

He was an Indian physicist and academic, and a scientific advisor to the Government of India.
He is known as one of the pioneers of nuclear physics in India and for building the nation’s first cyclotron at the University of Calcutta.
In the early 1970s, as the Scientific Advisor to the Ministry of Defence and chair of the Cabinet Committee on Science and Technology, Nagchaudhuri played an influential role in Smiling Buddha, India’s first nuclear test.
He also initiated the first feasibility studies on India’s ballistic missile program.
Later, he also served as a member of the Planning Commission and as Vice-Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
He served on numerous Indian and international scientific councils.
From 1976-1984, he served a Member of the Scientific Council of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics.
From 1980-1982 he served on the Research Advisory Council of the National Physical Laboratory.
He also served as a member and vice-chair of the Board of Governors of the East-West Center.
He also served on the boards of various Indian public sector companies.
These included Bharat Dynamics Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
He maintained an active interest in music and culture.
He served on the advisory board of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy.