Srikumar Banerjee

Srikumar Banerjee, currently the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Trombay, is one of the leading experts in materials science and technology in India and has made outstanding contributions to many materials related areas, basic as well as application oriented.

In 1967 Banerjee obtained a B.Tech degree with honours in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in Kharagpur. Thereafter he underwent training at the Training School of BARC. He joined the erstwhile Metallurgy Division of BARC in 1968 and spent his entire scientific career in this establishment. On the basis of the work carried out by him in the first few years of his career in BARC, he was awarded the Ph.D. degree in Metallurgical Engineering by IIT, Kharagpur, in 1974.

In the course of his distinguished professional career, Banerjee has published more than 300 scientific papers in reputed international and national journals. Some of these publications are regarded as landmark contributions in the field of materials science. On the basis of his knowledge of tailoring microstructure and crystallographic texture of Zirconium alloys by appropriate thermo mechanical treatments, Banerjee has developed a novel fabrication schedule for the pressure tubes used in Indian pressurised heavy water reactors, thereby demonstrating how a basic understanding of the behaviour of materials can lead to important technological applications.

In recognition of Banerjee's important research contributions he has been the recipient of many awards and honours. These include Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Young Scientist Medal (1976), National Metallurgists' Day Award (1981), Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Prize in Engineering Sciences (1989), Materials Research Society of India (MRSI) Medal (1990), G.D. Birla Gold Medal of The Indian Institute of Metals (1997), INSA Prize for Materials Science (2001), MRSI-Superconductivity and Materials Science Prize (2003), Indian Nuclear Society Award (2003). Notable among the international awards received by him are Acta Metallurgical Outstanding Paper Award (1984) and Humboldt Research Award (2004). Banerjee is a Fellow of a number of august academic bodies including Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Academy of Engineering, The National Academy of Sciences, India and Asia Pacific Academy of Materials. He is on the Board of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. since October 8, 2004.

Banerjee has held visiting positions overseas which include the University of Sussex, Brighton, England, Max-Planck Institut fuer Metallforschung – Institut fuer Physik, Stuttgart and Forschungszeutrum Juelich, Germany, University of Cincinnati and the Ohio State University, USA (as Visiting Faculty).

In recognition of Banerjee's distinguished contribution, he has been honoured with Government of India’s prestigious civilian award, Padma Shri, in 2005.

Sources

* [http://www.alumni.iitkgp.ernet.in/newsite/daa1.php?Sl=9]
* [http://www.npcil.nic.in/AR2005-06/Resume.pdf]