Defence Science Journal, Vol 44, No 3, July 1994, pp 193-198

@ 1994, DESIDOC

Professor DS Kothari: The Architect of Defence Science in India

N.S. Venkatesan

8-411, Surya Kiran Apts, 42, Netaji Road, 8angalore-560 005

and

A. Nagaratnam

Emeritus Scientist, Defence Metallurgical Research LabQratory, Hyderabad-500 258

I. INTRODUCTION years old by the time of our independence. They were

producing weapons and ammunition of British design
Defence science in India owes its origin and early
to their specifications. There were some Technical
growth to Professor DS Kothari. From humble
Development Establishments under the Army, located
beginnings the Defence Research and Development
in the Ordnance Factories. Their main function was
Organization (DRDO} has grown into a major national
inspection and quality control. They were sometimes
scientifi<: agency over t,he last four and a half decades.
involved in material substitution and some defect
2. BACKGROUND investigation. There was, however, no setup to carry
out research and development in respect of weapons
The application of science to the invention of new
needed by the three Services.
weapons of war goes back to several centuries in history .
It was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who, with his
The development by Archimedes in the third century
immense faith in science and technology to improve all
BC of catapults for the Greek armies of Syracuse as
aspects of human endeavour, felt that, following the
well as his fabrication of huge concave mirrors and their
outstanding success of the application of science to
installation on the coast to set on fire from at a great
defence matters in the UK, our country should also
distance ships of the invading Italians are well known.
have an orga.nization for t!le application of science and
However, the application of science to the conduct of
Operations Research to the development 01 weapon
operations of war and optimization of the effectiveness
systems .
of weapons of war ( operational research or operations
Dr OH Wansborough Jones, who was then the
research, as it is now called), and the direct impact
Scientific Adviser to the UK Army Councir, visited
science made on tactics (and even strategy) date back
India in the middle of 1946. It was on the basis of his
only to World War II.
report to the Commander-in-Chief, submitted in
3. THE BEGINNINGS OF DEFENCE SCIENCE IN November 1946, that the Defence Science Organization
INDIA: ADMINISTRA TIVE AND ORGANIZA- was set up later .
TIONAL ASPECTS OF THE FIRST DECADE Early in 1947the appointment of a Scientific Adviser
(1948-1858) was taken in hand, but in view of the rapid changes in
The account presented in this section is largely based the political scene that were taking place then in the
on the article by Venkateswaranl. country, the question was temporarily shelved.
India had a long tradition of indigenous production After independence the question was again taken
of weapons and ammunition. Some of the Ordnance up, and, in May 1948 Professor DS Kothari, who was
Factories like the Gun and Shell Factory at Cossipore then the Dean of the Faculty of Science in Delhi
and the Ammunition Factory at Kirkee were nearly 100 University, was invited to be the first Scientific Adviser
Received 29 April 1994
Reprinted with pennission from the Centre for Administralive Change, Jaipur, from lhe book, 'Education, Science and Human
Values: Essays in honour of Prof D.S. Kothari,' edited by R.C. Mehrotra & Ramesh K. Arora, Wiley Eastern, New Delhi, 1994. 193
 I
DEF SCI J, VOL 44, NO 3, JULY 1994

to the Defence Ministry .The scale of pay for the post Blackett had both worked in the Cavendish Laboratory
was fixed as Rs. 2<XX>-1OO-2500 (at par with the pay at Cambridge with Lord Rutherford. Another fortunate
scale of the Directors of the National Laboratories). circumstance was the dedication, understanding and
Professor Kothari assumed charge as Scientific dynamism Qf Krishna Menon, who, as the Defence
Adviser on 12 1948. He rejoined the Delhi University Minister, was completely in tune with Pandit Nehru's
on 12 July 1952, but was specially requested by the thinking, and gave unstinted support to the growth of
Defence Ministry to continue as the Honorary Scientific Defence Science; Professor Kothari had an extremely
Adviser, a post which he held till 1961. satisfactory equation with Krishna Menon also.
Professor Kothari's friendship with Sir John Cockroft,
Several important decisions were taken in quick another student of Lord Rutherford and product of
succession in 1948 in the structure and policy guidance Cavendish Laboratory , who later became the Scientific
to the Defence Science Organization. A board of Adviser to the UK Ministry of Defence, helped evolve
advisers to the Scientific Adviser, consisting of Dr ID intimate interactions in matters of defence science
Bhabha, Dr KS Krislinan and Dr.SS Bhatnagar, was between India and the UK.
constituted. The charter of the board (renamed the .
A 'Fire Adviser' was appointed in September 1948.
Scientific Advisory Board) was soon broadened with A Psychological Research Wing (now called the
an enlarged membership which included the Defence Defence Institute of Psychological Research) under a
Secretary, the three Service Chiefs artd the Financial Chief Psychologist was set up in August 1949.
Adviser (Defence). Its name was again changed to the
In June 1949 the Government sanctioned the setting
Defence Science Policy Board, with the Defence
up of a Defence Science Organization. Besides the
Minister as the Chairman. A Defence Science Advisory
Scientific Adviser, 40 senior scientists and 100 junior
Committee was also set up with the Scientific Adviser
scientists, plus 25 scientific assistants, were authorized.
as Chairman, and consisting of a panel of consultants,
The Defence Science Organization was originally
co-opted Service representatives, and co-opted civilian
located in 'H' Block, one of the hutments adjacent to
scientists. The Committee was entrusted with the tasks
the North and South mocks of the Central Secretariat
of examining the technical and scientific aspects of
at New Delhi. The first batch of 15 scientists joined in
Service requirements, liaising with the Service technical
October 1949. Early in 1950 the Defence Science
establishments, initiating basic research in relation to
Laboratory (DSL) moved to the second floor
Defence Science in universities and scientific research
(contain.ing around 25 rooms) of the National Physical
institutions, and keeping in touch with the scientific and
Laboratory at Delhi. A workshop and a library were
industrial development in the country as a whole.
establish~d and a bulk. grant of Rs 15 lakhs spread over
The Indian Government invited Professor PM~ a period of 3 years was sanctioned for laboratory
Blackett, a Nobel Laureate in Physics and the father of equipment. To create an awareness and to foster in the
Operations Research in the UK, then a Professor at scientists of the universities and other civilian research
Manchester University, to submit a report on how institutions an active interest in defence science,
scientific problems of Defence could be addressed in Defence Science Conferences were held periodically in
our country. Professor Blackett visited India three or
the early days, "tarting from 1949. The Defence Science
four times and submitted his report in September 1948. Journal was started in 1950.
His report laid firm foundations for the development
In 1953 the Government establisned a Defence
of defence science in India.
Science Service for the benefit of the scientists working
It was a fortunate coincidence that Professor in the Defence Science Organization. While piloting
Blackett was a good friend of both Pandit Nehru and the case for the establishment of a separate service for
Professor Kothari .Pandit Nehru and Professor Blackett the scientists Professor Kothari was concerned that if
had nearly identical political leanings, and both were the pay scales, particularly at the entrance level, were
great humanists passionately convinced of the made high, it might attract the most brilliant of the
importance of science and technology in improving the young students away from the teaching profession at
economic conditions and life-styles particularly in the Universities to the government service. He therefore
developing countries. Professor Kothari and Professor kept the entry at the Junior Scientist level, whose salary

194
 VENKATESAN & NAGARATNAM: KOTHARI: ARCHITEcr OF DEFENCE SCIENCE IN INDIA

scale was comparable to that of the lecturer at the who had the necessary interest, aptitude and
Universities. competence. He guided them personally in developing
Around 1953, three posts of Deputy Chief Scientific these disciplines on healthy lines. He himself spared no
Officers were created, one each for the Army, the Navy , effort to get a mastery over all these areas (most of
and the Air Force. Based on the report of Coi HM which were new to him also) .He organized weekly
Paterson from the Military College of Science in the seminars on relevant subjects and made it a point to
UK, submitted in 1950, the Institute of Armament participate actively in each one of them, and particularly
Studies (now called the Institute of Armament encouraged the younger scientists. He believed in
Technology) was established in May 1952. It has a dual humble beginnings and natural growth. He therefore
role: teaching and research. Consequent on the report started all these disciplines in a small way in
of Dr Keyston of theUK Royal Naval Scientific Service corresponding 'cells', mainly in the Defence Science
in 1949, a Naval Dock~ard Laboratory (now known as Laboratory, Delhi. All of them have grown over the
the Naval Chemical and Metallurgical Laboratory) was years, and when they reached a critical size, they took
set up in Bombay, and a Naval Physical and off as independent laboratories or establishments
Oceanographic Laboratory at Cochin in 1953. located in different parts of the country. (Today there
are over 45 such establishments which have developed
3.1 The First Decade: Scientific and Technical Aspects expertise and strong infrastructures in various
disciplines) .
Professor Blackett's report underlined the role of
science in planning for India's defence programme and Professor Kothari realized that the main purpose of
suggeste~ that smalt 'non-competitive' weapons should the Defence Science Organization was to serve the
be dev~loped and made in India, while 'competitive' immediate and long- term needs of the users, namely
weapons be imported. Blackett defined a 'competitive' the Armed Forces. He repeatedly stressed the vital need
weapon as one in which its performance relative to th.e for the scientist-soldier partnership. He made efforts to
enemy's weapon was all important; examples were establish rapport with the chiefs of the three Services,
tanks, missiles, jet fighters and radar. His reasoning namely Army, Navy and Air Force. In spite of the
was that as India did not then have sufficient industrial differing ethos of the academic university professor
or scientific infrastructure, it would be unwise for her (accustomed to an informal atmosphere) that Professor
to devote primary attention to 'competitive' weapons Kothari was, and the highly disciplined hierarchical
in the first place. structure of the Armed Forces, he was able to establish
extremely cordial relations with the senior service
In consonance with the suggestions of Professor
officers at' all levels, and earned their respect by his
Blackett, the Defence Science Organization was mainly
encyclopaedic knowledge, humility and the special
concerned with R&D in what were designated as
efforts that he made to understand their requirements
'non-competitive' weapons, and in keeping liaison with
and appreciate their point of view.
the Technical Development Establishments of the
Services. (It is difficult to infer now whether Professor The following were among the disciplines that
Blackett's advice acted as a deterrent and delayed by Professor Kothari identified for development in the first
a decade or so the taking of bold innovative decisions phase: Operational research, ballistics, explosives,
on initiating R&D work on major weapons systems). armaments, rockets and missiles, electronics, naval
technology, engineering, food, life sciences (including
In giving a direction and a coherent shape to the medicine, environmental physiology and psychology),
Defence Science Organization, Professor Kothari had and problems posed by special adverse environments
no precedents to go by. 11is a tribute to his clear thinking in the efficient operation of men and materials. He also
and vision that he unerringly identified thrust areas of realized the importance of a first-ratetraining institution
relevance in the country's geopolitical (both the then for training future defence scientists. Thanks to
existing and anticipated future) context. Further, there Professor Kothari's vision, DRDO still continues to
were no ready-made specialists in any of these have a vital interest in all these disciplines.
disciplines in the country. He carefully chose through Special mention may be made of his pioneering
pcr~onal contact scientists (mostly from the universities) vision in starting as early as 1956 a small 'Radiation

195
 DEF sa J, VOL 44, NO 3, JUL y 1994 ,
Cell' whose charter was to study the biological effects who applied his theory of pressure ionization in
of radiation, a subject of military medicine. But he condensed matter to the case of the Munroe jet, leading
foresaw that the expertise gained in such studies could to a better understanding of the phenomenon of armour
.-
/be utilized for the alleviation of human suffering through penetration.
the application of the then newly emerging discipline The second relates to the fragmentation of bombs
of 'nuclear medicine'. He therefore broke new ground and shells on explosion. He showed that the same
in establishing the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and statistical theory can be applied, whether it be random
Allied Sciences (INMAS) at Delhi (probably the first fragmentation in star formation, or the mass distribution
independent institute in the world devoted exclusively of shrapnel from an exploding shell.
to nuclear medicine) , and also started a post-graduate
diploma course in radiation medicine in collaboration 3.2 Nuclear Explosions and Their Effects
with the Delhi university (again probably the fIrst of its
A major contribution of Professor Kothari was his
type in the world).
authorship of the book 'Nuclear explosions and their
It is interesting to recall two instances of how
effects', the first edition of which was published by the
Professor Kothari applied his expertise in astrophysics
Government of India in 1956 and the second (enlarged
to solving problems specific to defence. The first relates
and revised) edition in 1958. The inspiration to
to the physics of the 'hollow charge' or 'shaped charge' undertake this assignment was given by Pandit
phenomenon. It was well known that if a block of
lawaharlal Nehru.
explosive with a conical cavity was detonated against a
It has to be kept in mind that when Professor Kothari
plate of armour there was penetration or perforation
embarked on this task, information on the subject was
of the' armour depending on the thickness of the plate
extremely scanty in the open literature, most of it being
as against fragmentation achieved by a plain explosive
kept secret by the military authorities. There was also
I
block. This effect was known as the 'Munroe jet'. It
a widespread feeling that the occasional reports from
was also established that if the cavity was lined by a
official quarters tended to understate the dangers so as
metal such as copper or aluminium the penetration
to allay the fears of the public. A major achievement
improved considerably. Though the principle was
of Professor Kothari in this publication, for which he a
known for several decades, the fabrication of the actual
received acclaim from all over the world, was his ability,
hardware took place only during world war II, and was
relying. only on published information but using his
known as 'hollow charge' or 'shaped charge'
scientific acumen and critical thinking, to have
ammunition.
presented the most authoritative data concerning all
When such a hollow charge is initiated by a suitable
aspects of the effects of nuclear weapons.
detonator the advancing shock wave makes the liner
The first edition of the book antedated by over two
material to collapse conically axially and a very high
years, and the second edition by a few .months, the
velocity jet of the order of 7(XX)to 8(XX)m/s is formed.
publication by the United States Atomic Energy
When this high velocity jet impinges on the armour it
Commission of 'The effects of nuclear weapons'. The
generates a pressure of the order of a million
second edition has 275 pages of text plus 12 appendices.
atmospheres. Under the circumstances the penetration
Almost all pages are studded with footnotes, which give
becomes hydrodynamic and results in penetration of a
copious references to literature or elaborate on points
few charge diameters. This was approximately
3 diameters at the end of world war II. Today, with discussed in the text.
fuller understanding of the factors affecting penetration The book was translated into German, Russian and

and with more powerful explosives like RDX and HMX, Japanese. The preface to the German translation of the

designs are available where a penetration of 10 charge book (published by Krausskopf-Verlag, Wiesbaden)
diameters has been obtained. stated: 'Thus with the publication of the Indian book,

Today we have several computer codes based on 2- a

History-making
work has come
books out
are those
which whichmakesconvey history
decisive

and 3-dimensional analysis to predict the penetration

knowledge at the right moment in an authentic form -
capability. But in the early SOs the theoretical
understanding was inadequate. It was Professor Kothari unobjectionable and incorruptible, objective,

196

.
 VENKATESAN & NAGARATNAM: KCTHARI: ARCHITEcr OF DEFENCE SCIENCE IN INDIA

consolidated and total -as the basis for the thoughts its impact on the DRDO in terms of the availability of
and actions of citizens and even of statesman!' Bertrand an advanced technological base (particularly in
Russell, in his book 'Has Man a Future?', also referred aeronautics and electronics) that could cater to the
~o the admirable objectivity of Professor Kothari's specialized demands of sophisticated defence systems.
presentation. The time had come for the DRDO to deliver systems
to the user (the three wings of the Armed Forces) as
4. THE DECADE 1958-1968 per the latter's specifications and requirements. Krishna
This decade marked the beginning of the Defence Menon had prophetically warned as early as 1961: 'The
Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in honeymoon period between the nation and DRDO is
1958. The DRDO was formed by amalgamating the almost over'; he made it clear that the laboratories
Defence Science Organization with the Technical would soon be asked to justify their performance. The
Development Establishments of the Army and the laboratories started learning their lessons: good
Directorate of Technical Development and Production research alone was not enough, but engineering and
(Air). The Defence Science Laboratory moved from technological skills were necessary to transform
the National Physical Laboratory campus to the historic laboratory research into realities2.
Metcalfe House building on the banks of the Jamuna
river, adjacent to the Old Secretariat in Old Delhi.
DRDO started having an independent small budget 7. DRDO TODAY: AN OVERVIEW
from 1961-62 at a level of a few crores of rupees. This From modest beginnings the DRDO has grown into
period marked the initiation of some small development a major national scientific agency of over 25,000
projects for which the Services had immediate scientists working in over 45 laboratories spread
requirements. These involved minor changes to existing throughout the country.
hardware. Major systems continued to be imported2
The activities of DRDO cover applied research as
well as design and development in a variety of disciplines
5. THE POST-KOTHARI PERIOD OF DRDO such as aeronautics, armaments, combat vehicles, naval
Professor Kothari relinquished charge as Scientific technology, rockets and missiles, computer sciences,
Adviser in 1961. DRDO has been fortunate in having electronics and instrumentation, artificial intelligence,
a succession of outstanding scientists as Scientific robotics, engineering, terrain research, explosives
Advisers (Dr S Bhagavantam, Dr BD Nag Chaudhry, safety, materials, life sciences (including high altitude
Prof MGK Menon, Dr Raja Ramanna, Dr VS agriculturel high altitude: and desert physiology, food,
Arunachalam and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam). nuclear medicine, psychology), work study, systems
Dr Arunachalam was the first scientist from within the analysis, training, and information systems.
DRDO establishment to be selected as SA.

6. THE POST-1969 PERIOD 8. CONCLUSION

The account given in the following sections is largely Today, 'in the national quest for a self-reliant,
based on the DRDO Publication 'Towards self-reliance defence posture, the Defence Research and
in defence: A silver saga', brought out on the occasion Development Organization endeavours to provide the
of the Silver Jubilee of the DRDO in 19832. research, design and development base for meeting the
The coming of age of DRDO was in the the third needs of the Armed Forces-needs ranging from
decade, starting from 1969. The number of laboratories aircraft, missiles, torpedoes, radars and tanks to frozen
increased from 10 to 35. DRD(.j started entering into foods and nuclear medicine'2. The nation owes a deep
areas of high technology. The country also witnessed debt of gratitude to Professor Kothari for the seeds that
an all-round growth in the scientific and technological he planted, the careful nurturing of the varied saplings
infrastructure, thanks to the vision and dynamism of in the early years, and the environment that he
Pandit Nehru as embodied in the Scientific Policy thoughtfully created for their growth, which has enabled
Resolution passed by the Parliament in 1958; this had the organization to be what it is today.

197
 DEF SCI J, VOL 44, NO 3, JUL y 1994

REFERENCES

1. Venkateswaran, A.L. Defence organization in 2 Defence Research and Development Organization

India. Publications Division, Government of India, To~ards self-reliance in defence -a silver saga
New Delhi, 1967. DRDO, New Delhi, 1983.

198