A website dedicated to thoughts and work of
Placid Rodriguez

Profile ​

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Dr. Placid Rodriguez was born in Quilon, Kerala on October 5, 1940.  After obtaining his B.Sc degree from Kerala University in 1958, he did his B.E (Metallurgy) at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.  In August 1960, he joined the Department of Atomic Energy through its Training School and worked in the Metallurgy Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Bombay from 1961 till 1974.  He was deputed to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA during 1963 to 1965 for specialised training; during this period he obtained his M.S in Metallurgical Engineering from University of Tennessee.  He was awarded the Ph.D degree of the Indian Institute of Science.(IISc) in 1976. In 2001 he obtained an MBA degree from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)with specialization in Human Resources Management. .

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In June 1974, he moved to Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) formerly known as Reactor Research Centre (RRC) as Sr. Metallurgist of Metallurgy Programme and in 1986 was designated as Head of the Metallrgy, Materials & Quality Assurance Programmes in the Centre., later he became the Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam from 1.12.1992 to 31.10.2000.  After his retirement on superannuation from DAE, he joined DRDO on November 1, 2000 as Chairman of its Recruitment and  Assessment  Centre,  New Delhi. Since 2004, He is a Raja Ramanna Fellow at IIT Madras ,Chennnai and AICTE-INAE Distuingished Visiting Professor at NITs at Surathkal,Nagpur,Tirchirapalli & PSG Colllege of Technology Coimbatore.

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Dr. Rodriguez is internationally well-known for his R&D contributions in Mechanical Metallurgy, Welding Metallurgy, Nuclear  Materials  and  Fast Breeder Reactor Technology.   His work in the area of Serrated Yielding and Dynamic Strain Ageing is the most well known and most cited.  He is equally well known for his work in creep, creep-fatigue interactions and for novel experimented techniques like  Stress Relaxation and Acoustic Emission for studying dislocation dynamics.

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Dr. Rodriguez's standing  in his profession has  led  to his  involvement  with  many  editorial responsibilities.  Currently he is the Subject Editor in the area of Nuclear Materials and Irradiation effects of the Encyclopaedia of Materials: Science and Technology to  be published by Elsevier Science Ltd.  in 2001.  He  was the Editor of  Publications of the Indian National Academy of Engineering during 1998-2000.   He is  on the Editorial Boards of Metals, Materials and Processes, Journal of NDE of ISNT, International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping, Steel India, Welding and Joining, Indian Journal of Chemical Technology and Indian Journal of Power and River Valey Development.  He  has  served  as an Editor of Transactions of the Indian Institute of Metals during 1977 - 87  and  was the Chief  Editor of this Journal for another 10 years. i.e. 1987-96.

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Dr. Rodriguezis  was a   Member of the Scientific Advisory Comittee to the Cabinet (SAC-C). 

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Dr. Rodriguez was been a member of  many national funding agencies for Science and Technology like Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) of DST[1991-97] and Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS) [1992-97].  He has  also  served  during 1992-99  on  the  Boards  of Indian Rare Earths Limited (IRE) and Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC). During 1998-2000 he was the Chairperson of the Research Council of the Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi,  a Member of the Academic Council  of the Anna University and the Technology Development Committee of the Shree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST). Currently he chaired the Technology Transfer Commitee of SCTIMST. He was a Member of the TIFAC-CUSEC (Committee on Upgradation of Science & Engineering Colleges), the apex committee guiding Mission REACH. He chaired  the TIFAC Committee on S&T inputs to Small and Medium Enterprises.

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Dr. Rodriguez was a recipient  of  many  National  Awards.    Notable  among  them  are :

• National Metallurgists' Day Award (1978) of the Ministry of Steel and Mines.

• Keith Hartley Memorial (Lecture) Medal (1986) of the Indian Institute of Welding.

• G.D. Birla Gold Medal (1987) of the Indian Institute of Metals.

• VASVIK Research Award for Materials Science and Technology for the year 1990.

• MRSI Lecture Medal (1991) of the Materials Research Society of India.

• MRSI-ICSC Award (1997) of the Materials Research Society  of  India.

• Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Foundation Award (1999) for Engineering including Energy and Aerospace.

• MRSI-Distinguished Lectureship for the period (2000-2001) of the Materials Research Society  of  India.

• National Metallurgists' Day Award (2000) of the Indian Institute of Metals.

• Platinum Medal (2003) of the Indian Institute of Metals.

 

Other Awards won by him include  For the Sake of Honour Award (1998) from the  Rotary Club of  Madras,  Vadapalani,  and Swadeshi Sasthra Puraskaram '98 awarded by the Swadeshi Science Movement.

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Dr. Rodriguez, has played important  leadership  roles  in  the  Professional  Societies  of  his  specialization.  He is a Past President (1996-97) and  an  Honorary  Member  of  the  Indian  Institute  of  Metals and  Past President of the Indian  Institute  of  Welding (1993-95). He was a Vice President of the Materials Research Society (MRSI)(1997-20003) and was Honarary Secretary of the Indian National Academy of Engineering.(2000-2004).Currently he is President 0f Indain Nuclear Society and a Vice President of the Indian National Academy of Engineering.

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He was a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering, the Indian Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences India,  the Tamil Nadu Academy of Sciences, the Indian Institute of Metals, the Indian Institute of Welding and the Society for the Advancement of Electrochemical Science and Technology and a Member of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Materials and Honorary Fellow of  Non-Destructive Society of India.