Dr. Srinivasan Varadarajan – A Tribute to the great Nonagenarian.
I was one among many old timers in NCSM who had an opportunity to meet and interact with Dr Varadarajan on several occasions. He was a regular visitor to the National Science Centre, Delhi (NSCD), where I served in two tenures as Curator from 1988-2001 and as Director from 2007 to 2010. Incidentally, the iconic castle like building of the National Science Centre, New Delhi, located in the prime location - in the Pragati Maidan premises - owes its genesis to Dr Varadarajan, who was responsible for the allocation of this plot of land in Pragati Maidan for the development of the NSCD.
In the later part of my tribute, I will cover briefly the contributions of Dr Varadarajan in taking NCSM to greater heights and highlight the constant mentoring and support that he extended to the founder DG of NCSM – Padma Bhushan, Dr Saroj Ghose. Looking at the gigantic contributions that Dr Varadarajan made in multifarious fields, his contribution to NCSM will stand dwarfed and seem insignificant in comparison with his other stellar contributions to the nation. So, I will begin this essay by highlighting his other contributions and let me start it by writing about, what I feel, one of his most significant contributions to India – leading from the front to combat the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and in ensuring that another leak of the deadly MIC gas from the second tank was arrested. Most unfortunately, Dr Varadarajan’s contribution in mitigating the Bhopal Gas Tragedy has not been adequately recognised.
The importance of his contribution in combating Bhopal gas tragedy can best be appreciated when we look at the tragedy that happened at Bhopal and the news headlines that this tragedy received. India Today front paged this incident and covered it under the caption “City of Death” in their December 31, 1984, issue of the fortnightly. The Time magazine front paged this incident under the caption “India’s Disaster—The Night of Death” on the front cover of the December 14, 1984, issue. Almost all the national and international dailies covered this horrendous manmade disaster. There was politics as well in the news coverage with The Wall Street Journal inhumanly stating “of those people killed, half would not have been alive today if it weren’t for that plant and the modern health standards made possible by wide use of pesticides”.
Bhopal Gas tragedy, which happened on that dark night in December 1984, will continue to be haunted as one of the world’s worst industrial disasters. It is appalling to note that this disaster happened because of the complete lack of professionalism and human failure by the management of the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), who were operating this plant. There were tell-tale signs of a disaster waiting to happen but then the company had paid no heed to the earlier safety warnings and the maintenance of the plant was far from what was desirable for such sensitive chemical factories, which were manufacturing pesticides. It was past midnight on December 2, 1984, that nearly 30 of the 42 metric tonnes of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC), which was stored in one of the tanks - Tank 610 - of the UCIL Pesticide Plant suddenly leaked and escaped with great velocity. The leaked MIC gas formed a dense cloud on the skyline surrounding the plant and the gas - being heavier-than-air - started descending on to the slum and shanty areas of the town adjoining the plant. This deadly cloud of MIC gas took a heavy toll on the lives and livelihood of people in the area. Even today, the exact human death toll from the Bhopal gas tragedy is not known. However, it is estimated that nearly 5,000 people died within 2 days, and the death toll eventually reached upward of 20,000. There was another tank 611 in the plant, which too was full of MIC in large quantity. Dr Varadarajan and his team were successful in ensuring the safety of this tank and in avoiding the leakage of the MIC gas from this tank. What the impact could have been had the MIC from the second tank leaked is hard to imagine. We therefore owe a lot to Dr Varadarajan and his team for their extraordinary contribution in helping avoid such a situation.
There is so much
written on the Bhopal gas tragedy, however, not much has been written on the
stellar role that Dr Varadarajan and his team of scientific community played
during this testing times and how they put aside their own personal safety and
were engaged at site in trying circumstances to save the lives of people and so
also the plant and other assets. Dr S. Varadarajan spearheaded “Operation
Faith” that saved many lives and minimized other damage to a maximum extent. Dr
Varadarajan was concerned about the possibility of the MIC leaking from the
second tank 611, which had equal amount of MIC stored in it. He feared the
possibility of Bhopal 2 happening if this tank leaked. In order to mitigate
this problem Dr Varadarajan had to understand what
led to the leakage of the MIC gas in the first place. The second problem was to
learn from this failure and derive a mechanism to safely dispose the remaining MIC
from tank 610 and 611. There was another question that needed to be answered: what
were the effects of the toxic MIC gas on the people around. How and why did the
MIC cause death and damage, and how can such damage be countered or avoided.
Dr Varadarajan and his team went about understanding and solving the problem by addressing the issue scientifically and thoughtfully engineering solution for the problems. They also addressed other pathology and treatment related matters. Exceptional chemist that Dr. Varadarajan was and so also an effective leader that he had distinguished himself as, he and his team studied at lightning speed the chemistry and storage conditions of the deadly gas, MIC. He realised that MIC boils at 80°C but evaporates at lower temperature. This showed that MIC gas is best stored under refrigerated conditions - below 10°C. Unfortunately, this was not done at the factory by UCIL primarily for cutting costs. Dr Varadarajan also realised that ultrapure MIC can be inert and that trace impurities can set up a chain reaction and one of them can produce a solid polymer. This solid polymer could clog up pipes through which MIC can be transferred from the storage tank.
Immediately after the Bhopal Gas tragedy, Shri Krishnaswamy Rao, the Cabinet Secretary, Government of India, directed Dr S Varadarajan, who was the Secretary Department Science & Technology, to rush to the site at Bhopal. Dr Varadarajan accompanied by his team from Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) reached Bhopal. He inspected the site and the tanks and obtained inputs from the people working in the factory and referred to manuals and protocols that were warranted. The situation was very tense and there was no support for the team from either the UCIL or from the Government of MP, who were shell shocked to react to the emergency. Dr Varadarajan decided to look into the residues still left in tank 610, in order to get an idea of what all could have happened to the MIC. This was a risky affair but then Dr Varadarajan was more concerned for the safety of the people rather than his own personal safety.
Dr Varadarajan’s
inspection of the plant and his understanding of the conditions helped him with
a lead on what could be done to safely dispose the MIC off tank 611, which too
had about the same 40 tonnes of MIC. He needed support from the local
government in Bhopal and from the senior officers of MP and therefore he called
up his Cabinet Secretary to seek this support. By then the entire case was
handed over to the CBI and therefore the Cabinet Secretary told Varadarajan that
“you are the in charge of the situation and that everyone including the CBI
will work at your orders”. He used this opportunity to somehow manage to
convince the judiciary to release two of the engineers of UCIL, who were
already rounded up and arrested, to understand the factory conditions better.
He was successful but with a condition that soon after they are done with them,
the UCIL engineers must be brought back in jail.
Dr Varadarajan consulted Prof M M Sharma, an eminent Chemical Scientist on this issue and also put together a team of 16 members consisting of chemical engineers and related experts, which included Dr. L.K. Doraiswamy, N.R Ayyangar, C.S.P Iyer, A .A Khan, A.K. Lahiri, K.V. Muzamdar, R.A Mashelkar, R.B Mitra , O.G.B Nambiar, V.Ramachandran, V.D Sahasrabuddhe, S. Sivaram, M. Sriram, G. Thyagarajan and R.S. Venkataraman. Dr Varadarajan and his team quickly set up temporary facilities to examine how MIC was manufactured and stored at Bhopal, what led to “the event”, and how to get rid of the MIC from tank 611. They were successful in achieving their objective and this special operation was termed “Operation Faith”, by Dr Varadarajan, which remains one of the most profound operations that was ever carried out not just in India but globally. Dr Varadarajan adopted a process of converting 21 tons of MIC from tank 611 into a chemical called Sevin, at the rate of 3-4 tons daily. They commenced this operation on Sunday, December 16th, 1984 and ended six days later. This scientifically and technically validated operation carried out under the leadership of Dr Varadarajan saved what would definitely have led to a ‘Bhopal 2 tragedy'.
Unfortunately, not many know of this extraordinary contribution of Dr Varadarajan and today when Dr Varadarajan is not with us, it is time that we must remember his services to the nation during the Bhopal tragedy and pay our reverence to him for his stellar role in the “Operation Faith”, which saved many lives.
Dr Varadarajan is also known for his report on the impact of pollution on Taj Mahal. In the year 1973, the Government of India had announced setting up a 6 million tonne per year Petroleum Oil Refinery at Mathura, which was to be commissioned by Indian Oil Corporation, a public sector company. This decision had raised some apprehensions about the possible adverse effects of gaseous emission from the refinery on the white marble of the Taj Mahal and other historic monuments in the Agra-Mathura region. For addressing the pollution concerns, an expert committee was constituted by the Government of India to submit a report on the “Atmospheric environmental quality and presentation of Taj Mahal and Agra monuments.” This committee was headed by Dr Varadarajan. Varadarajan Committee conducted studies on the atmospheric air quality in the region and estimated the extent of release of various components in the gaseous emissions, which was a landmark report that helped Taj Mahal and other surrounding monuments from further deterioration from environmental problems.
Dr Srinivasan Varadarajan was
born to Smt. Kanamma and Sri V Srinivasan on 31st March, 1928 in Bangalore. He
was the eldest child and had two sisters - Kamla and Lalitha. His father was a well-established
lawyer and so also his grandfather, who too was a lawyer and a friend of
Rajagopalachari. Interestingly, Varadarajan did not go to school till age
8 and was taught by numerous people at home. His father was traveling
extensively during those days and had no time for the young Varadarajan. However, precocious child that Varadarajan was, he made
great progress in his academics, studying at home and managed to get admitted
straight to the high school, which he completed successfully. Varadarajan then
joined the college at the prestigious Loyola College in Madras (now Chennai).
During those days pursuing Honours degree was considered to be prestigious and
Dr Varadarajan wanted to try his hand at the BSC Honours in chemistry. The
competition for the entrance to this course was intense. Varadarajan was able
to successfully clear all the tests and made it to the Loyola College for his
Chemistry Honours. He completed his BSc Honours in Chemistry from the college
and obtained his degree from Madras University in 1948. The same year he also
obtained a MA degree. For his MSc, he went to the Andhra University, Waltair (Vishakpatnam), where he worked with Prof Seshadri and successfully completed his MSc
degree and from there he moved to Delhi along with his Professor Seshadri and completed his Doctorate and obtained a
PhD in 1952.
Dr Varadarajan served
at the Department of Chemistry as a research assistant between 1949-51 in
Delhi, subsequently he worked as a Lecturer in Chemistry from
1951-53. While serving as lecturer in Chemistry, Dr Varadarajan managed to
obtain an overseas fellowship of the Royal Commission for the 1851 exhibition,
which was tenable for three years. This gave him an entry to the prestigious
Cambridge University, UK. His travel grants to the UK were provided by the
British Council. The fellowship was tenable for three years from 1953-56. He
joined Cambridge in 1953 and was attached to Prof Sir Alexander Todd. He worked
in the lab of Prof Todd at Cambridge. Prof Alexander Robertus Todd was
a Scottish biochemist whose research on the structure and synthesis
of nucleotides, nucleosides, and nucleotide coenzymes earned him the Nobel
Prize for Chemistry in 1957. Dr Varadarajan was privileged to be a part of this
research and jointly published a paper with Prof Todd on this subject. At the
insistence of his guide and mentor. Prof Todd, Varadarajan reluctantly enrolled
for another PhD degree at Cambridge, which he successfully completed and earned
a PhD from Cambridge in 1956. While at Cambridge he worked in several areas of
research with Prof Todd and DM Brown. His research areas included synthesis of
nucleosides, nucleotides, structure of ribonucleic acid (RNA) phosphate linkage
etc. it was during this period that Varadarajan also acquainted himself with
the application of X-ray crystallography in the Laboratory of Sir Lawrence
Bragg, who jointly with his father was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their services in the analysis of crystal
structure by means of X-rays.
His work at Cambridge earned him a Visiting Lecturer fellowship in Biology at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, during the period 1956-57. He then returned back to UK where he served as a Beit Memorial Fellow in Medical Research in Addenbrookes Hospital, Department of Radio therapeutics, University of Cambridge (1957-59). During this period, he also managed to obtain an ICI Post-Doctoral Fellowship and a Senior 1851 Exhibition Fellowship in 1957. During his stay in Cambridge he met his life partner Ms Lotikapurkayastha, whom he married and hosted a reception for his friends and those who attended his reception included Prof Shivaramkrishnan Chandrasekhar, known for his extraordinary contributions in Liquid Crystals and his widf Ila among others. Lotika Varadarajan, too was a great scholar, author, historian, international textile authority and an inspirational teacher. She passed away in October, 2017. Dr Varadarajan returned back to India in 1959 and joined the famous company, Hindustan Lever of the Unilever International Group, where he initiated his research work on consumer products.
His research work at Hindustan Lever led to transformation of non-edible oil and forest products to valuable industrial raw materials, such as detergents and perfumery goods. High Protein Efficiency Value Edible Nutrition Products were also formulated and provided to several million people in drought condition in Western India by HLL. Two of the products that he worked on and introduced at HLL into the market – Rin Detergent Soap and the Fair and Lovely Cream – have been the most successful fast moving consumer goods which continue to be recognised as a brand even today. Long after he left HLL, Dr Varadarajan continued to enjoy the same respect and status from the company. His research at HLL led to large volume production arising from the Indian scientific research, innovation and novel technologies, which yielded national economic output and social benefits not just to the company but also to the society. HLL company came to be recognised as a technology enterprise within the country and internationally. During 1959-74, Dr Varadarajan successfully Headed the Research and Technology group for the manufacture of new high value chemical products, while continuing his association with Unilever Research Internationally and contributing to National Science Policies in the country. Large number of Scientists from Indian research moved to high positions in General Management in Unilever in Western Europe, Asia and South America from 1975 providing for economic and social growth from science. He left HLL in 1974.
Dr Varadarajan by then had carved out a name for himself and was soon recognised by the Government of India, which offered him the position of Chairman of Public Sector Organizations such as Indian Petrochemical Corporation (IPCL) (1974-81). Petrofils Cooperative (1975-80), Engineers India Ltd (EIL) (1975-78; 1981-82), and Bridge and Roof Co. (1978-83). He brought about transformational changes in the public sector companies that he headed particularly IPCL and EIL. Incidentally the Bridge and Roof Public Sector Company, which Dr Varadarajan headed, was responsible for the construction of the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai building and the National Science Centre building in Delhi. Dr Varadarajan’s presence as the GB Chairman of NCSM, under which NSCM and NSCD function, helped us immensely in the construction of the two buildings. His efficient ways of handling the public sector companies helped him in getting an offer to work as the Secretary, DST, Government of India. He also served as the DG Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR). It was during his association with the government, as the Secretary, that he was tasked with a mission of mitigating the Bhopal gas tragedy by the Cabinet Secretary. He also served as Vice Chairman, National Biotechnology Board, and Chief Consultant Planning Commission of India (1986-88).
Dr Varadarajan was very closely associated with the science museums in India.
He served as the Chairman of the Governing Body of NCSM for two terms 1982-83
to 1989-90. It was during this period that NCSM took a trajectory of rapid
expansion. Initially the museums - BITM, Kolkata and VITM, Bangalore – were
part of CSIR and even the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai began as part of CSIR
until a separate autonomous council – NCSM – was formed to govern the science
centres and museums in India in 1978. NCSM received momentum during the tenure
of Dr Varadarajan as its Chairman. The NSC Mumbai was opened in November 1985
when Dr Varadarajan was the Chairman of GB NCSM. In 1985 a mega Festival of
India (FOI) exhibition was planned and organised in USA. Dr Varadarajan visited
one of the FOI sites in US. From just 2 museums under CSIR, the NCSM grew
rapidly and today there are 25 science centres and museums that function under
NCSM and close to another 40 science centres have been developed by NCSM on
turn key basis and handed over to the state governments. The major impetus for
the growth of science museums in India was given by Dr Varadarajan when he
served as the Chairman of the GB of NCSM. Dr Varadarajan stood by Dr Saroj
Ghose, the founder DG of NCSM, and guided and mentored him and connected him to
the who’s who in the powers of corridor. It was Dr Varadarajan who was
responsible for getting the prime plot of land in Pragati Maidan for the
development of National Science Centre, Delhi.
NCSM started a national level science seminar (NSS) for the school students and the first NSS was organised in 1982 when Dr Varadarajan was the Chairman. The event was organised in Delhi and Dr Varadarajan elevated this event to the pinnacle, which is yet to be reached till today. He ensured that the national winner student of the NSS along with other participants from different states of India met the Honourable Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi and all the participants of NSS were taken to the Rashtrapti Bhavan where they met the then President of India, Gyani Jail Singh. The NSS event organised by NCSM also caught the attention of NASA and the winner student was sponsored by JPL to visit different NASA facilities and this too was made possible courtesy Dr Varadarajan. NCSM has been conducting the NSS ever since but then only one other time the winners have been able to go abroad and the bench mark set by Dr Varadarajan and Dr Ghose in the very first seminar is yet to be reached. I vividly recollect Dr Varadarajan attending many national level science seminars in Delhi. Two of the accompanying photos are testimony to this fact.
Dr Saroj Ghose, the founding DG of NCSM and a visionary who has been majorly responsible for the success of NCSM has stated that Dr Varadarajan was his mentor and guide and that his service to NCSM will ever remain etched in the annals of its history. But then I have also faced some awkward moments in Delhi. Dr Ghose had retired from service and Dr Varadarajan was no longer our GB Chairman. Yet, as always, he used to attend many of the programs and inauguration at NSCD. I vividly remember one such event. Dr Varadarajan turned up for an inauguration event in Delhi in the year 1999 or 2000 and most embarrassingly we were questioned as to why he has come and that we should not bother for him since he is a “spent force”. Each time he attended a program in Delhi he mixed with us freely and spoke of his reminiscence and how he was able to get the land in Pragati Maidan for building the NSCD. I also vividly remember another incident – around 1993 or so. Dr Varadarajan was shifting his house and he had called up Mr Bhaumik the then Director of NSCD and volunteered to donate most of his books from his collections to the NSC Library. Mr Hariharan, the then SPO and Mr PC Bagchi, the SMO of NSCD were sent to the house of Dr Varadarajan to collect these books. I remember the wide variety of books, which he donated to NSCD some of which were very rare. The last time I met Dr Varadarajan was in 2008. That was when I was the Director of NSC Delhi and we had inaugurated an exhibition titled Our Body Guards – Human Immune System. One fine day Dr Varadarajan accompanied by some of his friends walked into the NSCD and Mr Ramdas Iyer and I had the honour to walk him through this exhibition. He was highly impressed with this exhibition and immediately called up Dr Vijayan who was then the president of the Indian National Science Academy, and asked him to visit this exhibition. Dr M Vijayan a well-known Molecular bio-physicist and structural biologist visited our exhibition the next day and we had the honour to walk him around the exhibition. Unfortunately, Dr Vijayan too passed away last month.
There is one other significant trait of Dr Varadarajan, which will remain etched with me. Whenever Dr Varadarajan visited our centre and when either a working lunch or dinner was organised for the guests, the first thing he ensured was that his driver is treated with the same lunch or dinner that he was being offered. This showed how he cared for his staff. No wonder he was a great leader and that these traits helped him in being an outstanding leader who could command the highest of respect from his colleagues.
Given the achievements of Dr Varadarajan, many national and international awards and recognitions were befittingly conferred on him. Dr Varadarajan was very closely associated with all the science and engineering academies in India. He served as the President of Indian National Science Academy (1996-98), Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (1980-82), and Indian National Academy of Engineering (1992-95). He was also the President of the Oil Technologists Association of India (1984-86) and Treasurer Materials Research Society of India (1990-94). He was the Honorary Professor in Chemical Sciences, Technology and in Management in IIT Delhi. He was Member of International Committee of ICSU on Chemical Research Applied to World Needs (CHEMRAWN); the small India-Japan Eminent Persons Group of Governments and the INSA-Japan Science Advisory Council. He was elected Fellow of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad (Honorary Fellow), National Academy of Agricultural Sciences of India, Society of Engineers, All India Management Association, and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.
He was the recipient of the Padma Bhushan and also INSA CV Raman Medal. He also was awarded the INSA Medal for Promotion and Service to Science, Indian National Academy of Engineers Lifetime Contribution Award in Engineering, Life Time Science Award in Petroleum and also an Award in Biological Chemistry, Chemical Technology.
After serving actively for nearly seven decades Dr Varadarajan died at the ripe age of 94 years on 11th May, 2022 – National Technology Day. He has left behind a legacy of great achievement that must serve as a role model for many people. Most unfortunately, there was hardly any coverage of his death in any of the front-line national media. This has always been the case with most scientists in India, whose contributions have mostly been brushed under the carpet and so has it been in the case of Dr Varadarajan.
Long Live
Dr Varadarajan.
Images:
Courtesy Indian Academy of Science ( IASc) Oral History Archive : S Varadarajan
Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai and National Science
Centre, Delhi (Ramdas Iyer)
1 comment:
Dear Khened ,Exhaustive information on Dr Varadarajan. Which I am sure the scientific community in India may not be aware of. Enjoyed Reading in total while great respects for the departed soul arised in my heart. Thanks for the writing.
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