The former Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and former Chairman of Defence Research Development Organisation, V.S. Arunachalam has passed away at the age of 87.
Dr. Arunachalam, a resident of Bengaluru, passed away in his sleep on Wednesday in the Bay Area of California in the United States of America. He is survived by his daughter, two sons and wife.
A recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, Dr. Arunachalam was the Chief Architect of many strategic programs like the Integrated Missiles Development Programme which included Agni, Prithvi, Akash and Nag, Light Combat Aircraft now called Tejas and Airborne Early Warning and Control System.
Dr. Arunachalam, who served under five Prime Ministers and many Defence Ministers, was undergoing treatment for acute pneumonia and Parkinson’s. He had set up a Think Tank, Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), in Bengaluru.
In 2015, he was awarded DRDO’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the field of scientific research and technology.
