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Chennai:
The Kolkata-based Indian Institute of Metals (IIM) has
elected Dr.Baldev Raj, director, Indira Gandhi Centre
for Atomic Research (IGCAR) as its president. IIM is involved
in activities related to minerals, metallurgy and materials.
It has over 8,000 members and 52 chapters in the country.
The
steering committee comprises eminent personalities like
B Muthuraman, managing director, Tata Steel Limited, Dr.
S Banerjee, director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai,
L Pugazhenthi, managing director, ILZDC and J C Marwah,
managing director, Edcons, Kolkata.
According
to Dr Raj, during 2005-06 IIM would initiate the formation
of student chapters in an extensive manner. "Proactive
measures will also be undertaken to boost the industry-academia-research
institution interactions by conducting symposia on broad
fronts of emerging materials technologies, materials processing
and products," he adds.
Sometime
back Dr Raj, a distinguished scientist, was awarded the
prestigious Jaeger Lecture Award by the International
Institute of Welding (IIW) and International Standards
Organisation (ISO). He is the first Indian to receive
this award. The award was conferred in recognition of
his research and contributions to the science and technology
of welding and `hard facing''.
Dr
Raj developed and implemented the `in-situ'' repair welding
of cracked shrouds and blades of steam turbines and also
the procedure for hard facing nuclear components using
nickel-based hard facing alloys at nuclear plants. This
led to substantial reductions in cost and plant downtime.
He is responsible for the development of indigenous electrodes
for the 500mw-Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), which
led to the availability of high quality welding electrodes
in the Indian market.
IIW
is a premier body that formulates welding directions and
policies for advances in welding science and technology.
Dr
Raj was also honoured with the `Lifetime Achievement Award''
2004 by the Indian Welding Society. Earlier, he had received
the `Lifetime Achievement Award'' from the Indian Society
for Nondestructive Testing.
Dr
Raj has five Indian Standards and 16 patents to his credit.
He also has to his credit more than 652 publications in
leading national and international journals; referred
books; manuscripts of status articles; honours, plenary,
key note and invited lectures and 27 books
(co-author of five books, four monographs and co-editor
of 18 books and special journal volumes). Dr Raj has contributed
nine articles in encyclopaedias and a large number of
reviews.
He
has been invited to more than 30 countries for plenary
and keynote talks at leading conferences and forums.
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