M.P. Parameswaran, renowned nuclear scientist and Marxist theorist, dies at 92

M.P. Parameswaran, an Indian nuclear scientist, science communicator and Marxist theorist, died on 11 August 2026 at his residence in Thrissur, Kerala. He was born on 18 January 1935 in Kiralur, Thrissur, and studied engineering at the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram before earning a PhD in nuclear engineering from the Moscow Power Institute in 1965.

Scientific Career

Parameswaran worked at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai from 1957 to 1975. He resigned from the centre in 1975 and later focused on science popularisation, public activism and grassroots education.

Science Communication and Public Work

From 1975 onwards, he became associated with the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad and helped found the All India People’s Science Network. He also supported local science initiatives, including the promotion of the smokeless stove.

Language, Politics and Awards

Between 1969 and 1973, he served on deputation as assistant director of the State Institute of Languages in Kerala and helped design the Malayalam typewriter keyboard layout. In 2004, he was expelled from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) after three decades of membership, and in 2022 he received the Kerala Sree Award, the third-highest civilian honour of Kerala.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is a premier nuclear research institution in Mumbai.
• The Moscow Power Institute is a higher education institution in Russia associated with engineering and power studies.
• The Kerala Sree Award is the third-highest civilian honour of Kerala.
• The Malayalam typewriter keyboard layout is linked to language technology development in Kerala.