Chaitanyamoy Ganguly earned BE (Metallurgical Engineering) degree (1968) from Bengal Engineering College, University of Calcutta and joined the Training School of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay, Mumbai to obtain his graduation. He then joined the Radiometallurgy Division (RMD) of BARC (1969) and served there (1969-95). Ganguly worked under IAEA Fellowship (1973-74) in the Nuclear Research Centre (KFK) at Karlsruhe, Germany with Dr D Vollath and Professor K Kummerer mainly on X-ray diffraction techniques. He obtained his PhD degree from the University of Calcutta and did post-doctoral research (Humboldt Fellowship) at the Nuclear Research Centre (KFA) at Juelich, Germany. Ganguly was the Head of Radiometallurgy Division, BARC (1986-95) and Director of the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI), Kolkata (1995-98). He was promoted to 'Distinguished Scientist' in 2002. Since August 2004, Ganguly is heading the Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Academic and Research Achievements: Ganguly played a key role in setting up the plutonium fuels laboratory at the Radiometallurgy Division, BARC and was responsible for developing uranium, plutonium and thorium based ceramic and metallic fuels for research reactors and power reactors. His major achievement has been development of hitherto untried plutonium rich mixed uranium plutonium monocarbide fuel for the fast breeder test reactor (FBTR) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam. Earlier, he was responsible for manufacturing stainless steel clad plutonium oxide fuel for the 'PURNIMA' research reactor at BARC. Ganguly was also responsible for developing and fabricating aluminum clad, aluminum-uranium 233 fuel for the 'KAMINI' research reactor at IGCAR. He was also responsible for R&D and production of a wide variety of plutonium alloys including plutonium-gallium, plutonium-aluminum and plutonium-berilium. At CGCRI his major contribution was the development of high-density lead glass for radiation shielding windows and a wide variety of laser glass and zero expansion glass for defence and aerospace application. He has published over 200 research articles. Ganguly has mentored a large number of students including four PhD and six MSc/MTech students.

Other Contributions: Dr Ganguly is recognized as an international expert on nuclear fuels and fuel cycle, in general, and thermal and fast reactor fuels technology in particular. He was the President of the Indian Ceramic Society and the Powder Metallurgy Association of India. Ganguly was the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) at Hyderabad (1998-2004), an industrial unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). He has been a faculty of BARC Training School for many years.

Awards and Honours: Among the several honours and prizes that he received are the National Metallurgists Day Award, Binani Gold Medal, Kamani Gold Medal, the Vasvik Award and the Indian Nuclear Society Award. Ganguly was awarded the Padma Shri (2002). He is also a Fellow of Indian Academy of Science, Bangalore; National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad; Indian National Academy of Engineering, New Delhi; Indian Institute of Metals; Indian Institute of Engineers and Indian Institute of Ceramics.