International honour for Indian scientist

Baldev Raj, director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, is the first Indian to receive the coveted Jaeger Lecture Award from IIW.

Baldev Raj, a leading Indian nuclear scientist, has been conferred a prestigious award by the International Institute of Welding (IIW) and International Standards Organisation (ISO).

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Raj, director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, is the first Indian to receive the coveted Jaeger Lecture Award from IIW.

IIW, a premier body comprising experts from over 30 countries, frames welding directions and policies for advancement of welding science and technology.

The award is in recognition of Raj's research and significant contributions to the science and technology of welding, an official statement said on Tuesday.

Raj has developed repair welding of cracked shrouds and blades of steam turbines, and a procedure for "hard facing" components at nuclear power plants using nickel-based alloys.

This led to substantial reduction in costs and shutting down of plants for repairs.

Raj is also responsible for developing indigenous electrodes for the 500MW fast breeder reactor, which led to the availability of high-quality welding electrodes in the Indian market.

He was earlier honoured with the lifetime achievement award for 2004 by the Indian Welding Society.