Was Anil Kakodkar offered a seat in Rajya Sabha?
25 May, 2012Reply given by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that PM Manmohan Singh had proposed the name of Anil Kakodkar along with that of Sachin Tendulkar and Rekha for nomination as a Rajya Sabha member vide a letter dated 23rd April, 2012. Apparently, his name was replaced with that of Anu Aga, a businesswoman. Unconfirmed reports say that Kakodkar, 68 declined the offer of Rajya Sabha nomination as he is happy with what he is doing at present. In the materialistic world, such conduct is uncommon and indicates the high values of the individual as the nominated seats in the Rajya Sabha are vied for.
Kakodkar is a member of the Atomic Energy Commission and is also associated with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and is the chairman of the board of governors at IIT Bombay. He is a renowned nuclear scientist and the architect of the Indo-US nuclear deal. He has 46 years of experience in the field of research and development related to nuclear development. He was awarded the Padam Sri in 1998, the Padma Bhushan in 1999 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2009.