V. K. Aatre
Encyclopedia
Dr. Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre (born 1939) is an India
n Scientist and former head of the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO), India's premier Defence R&D Organization. In that capacity, he also served as the Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister (Raksha Mantri). He is an awardee of the Padma Bhushan
award.
. He completed his BE
in Electrical engineering
from the University of Mysore
in 1961 and a Master's Degree from the Indian Institute of Science
(IISc), Bangalore, in 1963. He was awarded a PhD
in Electrical Engineering
from the University of Waterloo
, Canada
, in 1967. Thereafter, he worked as a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia
, Halifax
, Canada, and worked till 1980. He was a Visiting Professor at IISc till 1977.
In 1980, Dr. Aatre joined DRDO at the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Cochin, and became its Director in 1984. He was later appointed as Chief Controller (R&D) of DRDO. In February 2000, he replaced Abdul Kalam
as the Director General of DRDO and SA to RM, serving as a Scientific advisor to the then Defence Minister, George Fernandes
. He retired in October 2004 and was replaced by Dr. M. Natrajan.
Dr. Aatre was awarded the Padma Bhushan
award in 2000 by the then President
K. R. Narayanan
.
(2005). Soaring High: A Biography of Dr. V. K. Aatre. New Delhi: IK International ISBN 8188237248
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Scientist and former head of the Defence Research and Development Organisation
Defence Research and Development Organisation
The Defence Research and Development Organisation is a agency of the Republic of India, responsible for the development of technology for use by the military, headquartered in New Delhi, India...
(DRDO), India's premier Defence R&D Organization. In that capacity, he also served as the Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister (Raksha Mantri). He is an awardee of the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
award.
Biography
Dr. Aatre was born in 1939 in BangaloreBangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. He completed his BE
Bachelor of Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at universities in Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland , Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Korea,...
in Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from the University of Mysore
University of Mysore
The University of Mysore , is a public university in India. The University founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore, and was conceptualized on the basis of a report on educational progress in the United States and Australia, submitted by Messrs Thomas Denham and...
in 1961 and a Master's Degree from the Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science is a research institution of higher learning located in Bangalore, India. It was established in 1909.-History:After a chance meeting between Jamsetji N...
(IISc), Bangalore, in 1963. He was awarded a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in 1967. Thereafter, he worked as a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia
Technical University of Nova Scotia
The Technical University of Nova Scotia was a university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada until it became part of Dalhousie University in 1997. It was formerly the Nova Scotia Technical College and is today the Sexton Campus of Dalhousie University.In the early 1900s, at the request of the province...
, Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Canada, and worked till 1980. He was a Visiting Professor at IISc till 1977.
In 1980, Dr. Aatre joined DRDO at the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Cochin, and became its Director in 1984. He was later appointed as Chief Controller (R&D) of DRDO. In February 2000, he replaced Abdul Kalam
Abdul Kalam
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam usually referred to as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is a renowned aerospace engineer, professor , and first Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram , who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007...
as the Director General of DRDO and SA to RM, serving as a Scientific advisor to the then Defence Minister, George Fernandes
George Fernandes
George Mathew Fernandes is an Indian trade unionist, politician, journalist, agriculturist, and member of Rajya Sabha from Bihar. He is a key member of the Janata Dal , and was the founder of the Samata Party...
. He retired in October 2004 and was replaced by Dr. M. Natrajan.
Dr. Aatre was awarded the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
award in 2000 by the then President
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
K. R. Narayanan
K. R. Narayanan
Kocheril Raman Narayanan , also known as K. R. Narayanan, was the tenth President of India. He was the first Dalit, and the first Malayali, to have been President....
.
Further reading
Dr. K Divyananda; Dr. W SelvamurthyW Selvamurthy
Dr. W Selvamurthy is a Distinguished Scientist and Chief Controller, Research & Development at Defence Research and Development Organisation, Government of India...
(2005). Soaring High: A Biography of Dr. V. K. Aatre. New Delhi: IK International ISBN 8188237248