Dinesh Kumar Shukla takes over reins of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

New Delhi [India], January 1 : The government has said Dinesh Kumar Shukla has assumed the charge as chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). He has been appointed on this post for a period of three years. Shukla was the former executive director of AERB.
Dinesh Kumar Shukla is an internationally-acclaimed expert in the field of nuclear safety, according to a statement from the department of atomic energy. After graduating from Government Engineering College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, in Mechanical Engineering in 1980, Shukla joined the Bhabha Atomic Energy research Centre (BARC) in the year 1981.
Shukla has been associated with the commissioning of high flux research reactor Dhruva and later held the position of head for Reactor Operations Division (ROD), BARC.
In 2015, he joined AERB where he served in various capacities, namely member of the board, executive director and chairman of Safety Review Committee for Operating Plants (SARCOP). In February 2021, Shukla superannuated from AERB and since then he has been actively mentoring nuclear energy professionals on nuclear safety and regulations.
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board was constituted on November 15, 1983, by the President of India by exercising the powers conferred by the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions under the Act. The regulatory authority of AERB is derived from the rules and notifications promulgated under the Atomic Energy Act and the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. According to the department, the mission of the AERB is to ensure the use of ionising radiation and nuclear energy in India does not cause undue risk to the health of people and the environment.