India’s atomic research centres saw 7 suicides this year
By IANSWednesday, May 5, 2010
NEW DELHI - As many as seven scientists and employees of India’s reputed atomic research centres committed suicide this year, Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan said Wednesday.
Four of the seven scientists and employees who committed suicide were from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
Titas Pal, scientific officer of BARC, Trombay, committed suicide March 3 this year. Ashutosh Sharma, another scientific officer of the same institute, killed himself March 8.
Subhash Sonaji Sonawane and Akshay P. Chavan, employees of BARC, committed suicides on April 23 and 30 respectively.
Anantha Narayan, scientific officer of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, committed suicide Feb 15. M. Tirumala Prasad Tenka of the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, killed himself April 10 this year.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Chavan said: “All the cases have been reported to the nearest police station and the police are conducting investigations. The scientists are employees of the department are provided with excellent living conditions and career opportunities.”
In 2009, there were two suicides in research centres.
