Vivek Bhasin Takes Charge as 14th Director of BARC

September 16, 2023. By News Bureau

Vivek Bhasin, Distinguished Scientist and Director, Nuclear Fuels Group (NFG) of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) took over as the 14th Director of BARC from Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy.

Bhasin joined in Reactor Engineering Division, in 1988 after successfully graduating from the 31st Batch of BARC Training School. He is widely recognized for his expertise in the development of nuclear fuels, nuclear reactor component designing and structural integrity assessment of power reactors.

In a career spanning more than three decades, he contributed significantly towards several programs and activities to ensure the longevity of power reactor fleet, including rehabilitation and structural integrity assessment of RAPS-1, TAPS-1&2, MAPS and TAPS-3&4 alongside reactors operating in Kaiga, Kakrapar and Narora.

Bhasin played a leading role in setting up of facilities for fabrication of fuel for APSARA-U Reactor and a novel plant for production of Fission-Moly (a radioactive isotope with extensive applications in healthcare) in Trombay. He was also instrumental in improving the rate of production of Plutonium-Uranium carbide fuel for Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) in Kalpakkam.

He is a recipient of several honours, including Indian Nuclear Society Medal (2002), DAE Science & Technology Award (2006), and Homi Bhabha Science and Technology Award (2014). He is a Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering and has more than 300 publications to his credit in the field of nuclear science and engineering.

While taking over as Director, BARC, Bhasin has expressed gratitude towards his predecessors, who have helped him greatly in his professional journey. He mentioned that the young scientists and engineers of BARC will be offered more opportunities to deal with challenging scientific problems. As Director, Shri Bhasin is committed to continue the work of BARC in the fields of societal importance.

The Centre will also strive for excellence in research in the fields of basic and applied sciences. Calling the current period as the golden era for nuclear energy expansion, Shri Bhasin said that BARC would focus on exploiting its unique core competencies, including development of metal fuel cycle.

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Business

Vivek Bhasin

BARC

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Government of India

Power reactors

Nuclear Fuels Group

Fast Breeder Test Reactor

Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty