Anil Kakodkar resigned from the post of Chairman of Board of Governors of IIT Bombay

The nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar on 17 March 2015 resigned from the post of Chairman of Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. He resigned two months before his tenure was to end in May 2015.

His resignation was confirmed by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD).

Prior to his appointment as the Chairman of the IIT Bombay’s Board of Governor in 2006, he served as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission from 2000 – 2009. From 1996 – 2000 he served as the Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay.

He was instrumental in design and construction of the Dhruva reactor, a completely original but high-tech project.

Apart from playing a major role in India's nuclear tests asserting sovereignty and advocating India's self-reliance on thorium as a fuel for nuclear energy, he also served as Chairman of several high level committees appointed by the Union Government.

These include Chairman of the High Level Safety Review Committee appointed by the Ministry of Railways in 2012 and Chairman of the Committee to Recommend Autonomy Measures to Facilitate IITs Scaling Greater Heights appointed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2011.

For his achievements in the file of nuclear sciences, he was awarded Padma Shri in 1998, Padma Bhushan in 1999 and Padma Vibhushan in 2009 by the Union Government.