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{{Use Indian English|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Maneklal Sankalchand Thacker
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1904|12|03}}
| birth_place = [[Gujarat]], India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1998|12|16|1904|12|03}}
| death_place = Ahmedabad
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = Power Engineer<br>Academic
| yearsactive = 1927–1996
| known for = [[Power engineering]]
| party = Indian National Congress
| spouse =
| domesticpartner =
| children =
| parents = Sheth Sankalchand Dahyalal Thacker & Narmada Thacker
| family = Dhun Thacker (Grandson)
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]]
| website =
| signature =
}}
'''Maneklal Sankalchand Thacker''' (1904–1998) was an Indian power engineer, academic and the director general of the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]], the largest research and development organization in India.<ref name="Chronicle">{{cite journal | jstor=41821580| title=Chronicle |author1=Walter Adams |author2=F. M. G. Willson |author3=I. Henderson |author4=M. Quinn |author5=A. Brock |author6=J. Oliver | journal=Minerva | year=1963 | volume=1 | issue=3 | pages=392–397| doi=10.1007/BF02251991 | pmid=14058537 }}</ref> He served as a secretary at the Ministry of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs (present-day [[Ministry of Culture]]) (1957–62) and sat in the [[Planning Commission of India]] as a member from 1962 to 1967.<ref name="Zhou2016">{{cite book|author=Yong Zhou|title=Science, Technology and Global Problems: The United Nations Advisory Committee on the Application of Science and Technology for Development|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zel3DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA60|date=3 June 2016|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-1-4831-8945-1|pages=60–}}</ref> He was an elected fellow of the [[Indian Academy of Sciences]]<ref name="Fellow Profile">{{cite web | url=http://www.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/Thacker,__Maneklal_Sankalchand | title=Fellow Profile | publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences | date=2016 | access-date=4 July 2016}}</ref> and the [[Indian National Science Academy]].<ref name="Deceased Fellow">{{cite web | url=http://insaindia.org.in/deceaseddetail.php?id=N530832 | title=Deceased Fellow | publisher=Indian National Science Academy | date=2016 | access-date=4 July 2016 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the [[Padma Bhushan]], in 1955, for his contributions to literature and science education.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2016 |access-date=3 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 }}</ref>

He was elected as the head of Freemasonry in India in January 1969<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://masonictimesofindia.blogspot.in/2012/12/history-of-grand-lodge-of-india-1969.html|title=History of the Grand Lodge of India {{!}} 1969|website=masonictimesofindia.blogspot.in|access-date=2016-10-05}}</ref> and continued till December 1974,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.masonindia.in/index.php/diary-of-masonic-events/|title=Grand Lodge of India – Diary of Masonic Events|website=www.masonindia.in|access-date=2016-10-05}}</ref> after serving 2 consecutive terms as Most Worshipful [http://www.masonindia.in/index.php/roll-of-grand-masters/ The Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of India].

== Biography ==
M. S. Thacker was born in the Indian state of [[Gujarat]] on 3 December 1904 to a business tycoon of Ahmedabad Sankalchand Dahyalal Thacker and Narmada S. Thacker and did his early education at the state capital of [[Ahmedabad]].<ref name="The Shaping of Indian Science: 1948-1981">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xkVZ7wh3DIIC&pg=PA790 | title=The Shaping of Indian Science: 1948-1981 | publisher=Universities Press | year=2003 | pages=790– | isbn=978-81-7371-433-7}}</ref> Subsequently, he moved to the UK to continue his studies at the [[University of Bristol]] from where he graduated in engineering in 1927 to start his career as an engineer at the Electricity Department of Bristol Corporation, thus becoming the first Indian Indian to serve in that position. He served the Corporation for four years and returned to India in 1931 to join [[Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation]] (CESC) where he served till May 1947. He was the first contracted officer of Indian origin at CESC and during his tenure there, he also continued his research activities as well as worked as a faculty member at two engineering colleges viz. Bengal Engineering College, Calcutta (now known as [[Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur]] and [[Banaras Hindu University]] Engineering College.<ref name="The Shaping of Indian Science: 1948-1981" />

The [[Indian Institute of Science]], Bangalore had started a department of power engineering by that time and Thacker joined the institution as a professor of the new department in 1947 and two years later, assumed the directorship of the department, a post he held till 1955 when he was appointed as the director general of the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] (CSIR), a government sponsored autonomous body and the largest research and development organization in the country.<ref name="List of Former DGs">{{cite web | url=http://www.csir.res.in/Home.aspx?MenuId=2 | title=List of Former DGs | publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | date=2016 | access-date=4 July 2016 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702134459/http://www.csir.res.in/Home.aspx?MenuId=2 | archive-date=2 July 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> He headed the organization for seven years and in 1957, he was given the additional responsibility of a secretary at the [[Ministry of Culture|Ministry of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs]]. He held both the posts till 1962 and moved to a new position as a member of the [[Planning Commission of India]] for a five-year term, which ended in 1967.<ref name="Zhou2016" /> During this tenure, he chaired the [[UNESCO]] Advisory Committee on Research on Natural Sciences and presided the [[United Nations]] Conference on the Application of Science and Technology for the benefit of less developed areas, held in 1963.<ref name="Conferences and Commissions">{{cite journal | title=Conferences and Commissions |journal = Minerva|volume = 1|issue = 3|pages = 392–397| date=2016 | doi=10.1007/BF02251991 |pmid = 14058537|author1 = DEBENEDETTI M|author2 = GALLI GA}}</ref>

Thacker was credited with efforts in putting applied science to use in power engineering.<ref name="Deceased Fellow" /> He was known to have consolidated the functioning of CSIR and contributed to the industrial development of India. He chaired the Governing Council of the [[Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi]] and was a member of the council of the [[Indian National Science Academy]] during 1954 to 1956.<ref name="Deceased Fellow" /> He presided the engineering and metallurgy section of the 1951 [[Indian Science Congress]] and was the general president of the 1958 session held in Chennai.<ref name="List of Past General Presidents">{{cite web | url=http://sciencecongress.nic.in/html/past_general_presidents.php | title=List of Past General Presidents | publisher=Indian Science Congress Association | date=2016 | access-date=4 July 2016 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605035323/http://www.sciencecongress.nic.in/html/past_general_presidents.php | archive-date=5 June 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> He represented India in the standing committee of the British Commonwealth Scientific Conference and was a member of the governing councils of several science and educational organizations, [[Indian Council of Medical Research]], [[National Book Trust]], [[Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany]], [[Indian Institute of Science]], [[Administrative Staff College of India]], and [[National Council of Applied Economic Research]] counting among them.<ref name="The Shaping of Indian Science: 1948-1981" /> He was the founder president of the Institute of Management and the Indian chapter of the [[Illuminating Engineering Society of North America|Illuminating Engineering Society]] and served as the president of [[Institution of Engineers (India)]], [[Indian Institute of Metals]] and [[Energy Institute]], besides serving as the vice president of [[Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science]] and the Indian National Science Academy.<ref name="Deceased Fellow" /> He also published a number of books including ''Science and Culture'',<ref name="Thacker1963-1">{{cite book|author=Maneklal Sankalchand Thacker|title=Science and Culture: 2 Lectures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OOUlAAAAMAAJ|year=1963|publisher=Ministry of Scientific Research & Cultural Affairs}}</ref> ''Survey of literature on high voltage engineering and allied subjects, 1935-53''<ref name="Survey of literature on high voltage engineering and allied subjects, 1935-53">{{cite book | url=https://www.amazon.com/literature-voltage-engineering-subjects-1935-53/dp/B007EU1UPI?ie=UTF8&qid=1467562445&ref_=la_B00J1T0D0S_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1 | title=Survey of literature on high voltage engineering and allied subjects, 1935-53 | publisher=Indian Institute of Science | author=Maneklal Sankalchand Thacker | year=1954 | asin=B007EU1UPI}}</ref> and ''Natural resources and their planned utilization''.<ref name="Thacker1963-2">{{cite book|author=Maneklal Sankalchand Thacker|title=Natural resources and their planned utilization|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pbvuAAAAMAAJ|year=1963|publisher=Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda}}</ref>

== Family ==
Thacker is survived by his son who is a successful lawyer in the Supreme Court of India and his grandson Dhun Thacker, who happens to be an award winning Architect practicing in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and several corners of the world. Ar Dhun Thacker has won many awards and has made homes and offices for many renowned people from different walks of life. Maneklal Thacker died on 16 December 1998, at the age of 94.<ref name="Fellow Profile" />

== Awards and honors ==
Thacker was an elected fellow of the [[Indian Academy of Sciences]]<ref name="Fellow Profile" /> and the [[Indian National Science Academy]].<ref name="Deceased Fellow" /> He received four [[honoris causa]] doctoral degrees; Doctor of Science from [[Mysore University]] and [[Banaras Hindu University]], Doctor of Literature from [[Annamalai University]] and Doctor of Engineering from [[Roorkee University]].<ref name="The Shaping of Indian Science: 1948-1981" /> The Government of India awarded him the civilian honor of the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1955.<ref name="Padma Awards" />

He was awarded the Grand Master's Order of Service to Masonry (OSM) on 30 November 1971 by the Grand Lodge of India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.masonindia.in/index.php/order-of-service-to-masonry/|title=Grand Lodge of India – Order Of Service To Masonry|website=www.masonindia.in|access-date=2016-10-05}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]]
* [[Planning Commission of India]]
{{portal|India|Engineering}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web | url=http://nationallibrary.gov.in/showdetails.php?id=183968 | title=Indias urban problem | publisher=University of Mysore Press | work=Special lectures | date=1965 | access-date=4 July 2016 | author=Thacker, M. S. | pages=49}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|author=Reed Business Information|title=New Scientist|date=14 February 1963|publisher=Reed Business Information|pages=350–|issn=0262-4079}}
{{Authority control}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1954–59}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thacker, Maneklal Sankalchand}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education]]
[[Category:1904 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:Engineers from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Bristol]]
[[Category:Banaras Hindu University faculty]]
[[Category:Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]]
[[Category:Indian electrical engineers]]
[[Category:Indian scientific authors]]
[[Category:Indian Institute of Science faculty]]
[[Category:Indian officials of the United Nations]]
[[Category:Scientists from Ahmedabad]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]

Maneklal Sankalchand Thacker - Revision history

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