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Nityanand Jayaraman

Nityanand Jayaraman is an environmental researcher and activist based in Chennai.

Editor’s note: Nityanand Jayaraman compiled news mentions of Narayanasamy’s now famous predictions about Koodankulam. He ran out of patience around October, and stopped collecting them. The idea was to nominate him for a Guiness award. Here is the entry for DiaNuke.org:

Astrologer with the highest number of failed predictions about a single event

This is an entry for India’s Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office Mr. V. Narayanasamy as a record breaker for the largest number of failed predictions on the date of commissioning of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu. On at least 14 different occasions, Mr. Narayanasamy has predicted the imminent commissioning of the reactor. On all 14 occasions, his predictions did not materialise. Mr. Narayanasamy has continued to make such failed predictions without fear of earning the ridicule of people or the wrath of the judiciary. People protesting against the nuclear plant have referred to Mr. Narayanasamy’s periodic statements as a “weekend-comedy” while the Madras High Court failed to see anything funny in such predictions when the matter was being deliberated in court. Mr. Narayanasamy is the only individual who has the distinction of so many failed prophesies. The Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India may be the only other contender who comes anywhere close to competing with the Minister. The DAE has been saying from as early as 1962 that nuclear power is India’s future, and that India will have 20,000 MW of nuclear power by 1987. This figure has periodically been reduced, increased and repeated ad nauseum. But as things stand, only 4780 MW of nuclear power has been installed, despite the fact that none of these pre-Fukushima nuclear programs invited any serious resistance from uninformed local people.

1. October 19, 2012
Kudankulam will open this financial year: Narayanasamy
http://in.christiantoday.com/articles/kudankulam-nuclear-plant-in-final-stage/7669.htm
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-19/india/34583535_1_first-unit-nuclear-plant-narayanasamy

2. September 22, 2012
Centre Committed for Early Commissioning of Plant: Narayanasamy
http://www.24dunia.com/english-news/shownews/0/Centre-committed-for-early-commissioning-of-plant-Narayanasamy/15272596.html

3. August 24, 2012
Kudankulam Unit 1 in advanced stage: Narayanasamy’s statement to Rajya Sabha
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/kudankulam-project-unit-1-in-advanced-stage-/484287/

4. August 10, 2012
Criticality by August 2012 and commercial production by October 2012
http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20120810/2041542.html

5. July 24, 2012
Plant likely to be commissioned on August 25
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3679290.ece
http://www.firstpost.com/topic/person/v-narayanasamy-kudankulam-plant-likely-to-be-commissioned-on-aug-25narayan-video-rfKv-fgJyzA-94962-1.html

6. June 13, 2012
Kudankulam work progressing apace: Can be commissioned 30-40 days from AERB approval
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/open-up-nuclear-power-sector-narayanasamy/article3523598.ece?css=print

7. June 1, 2012
Trial run with enriched uranium to begin in 10 days: Narayanasamy
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/kudankulam-trial-run-to-begin-on-june-10/article3477298.ece

8. April 23, 2012
Kudankulam Nuclear Plant to be Commissioned in 40 days (PTI news story): Narayanasamy
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Kudankulam-n-plant-to-be-commissioned-in-40-days/Article1-844957.aspx

9. April 7, 2012:
Narayanasamy seeks blessings of Madurai Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwarar for smooth commissioning of Kudankulam plant, and removal of all obstacles. Confident that it will be commissioned in 2 months.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kudankulam-plant-to-function-in-2-months-centre/246723-3.html

10. March 21, 2012
Koodankulam Plant to be commissioned in 2 months: Narayanasamy
http://www.24dunia.com/english-news/shownews/0/Kudankulam-plant-to-be-commissioned-in-2-months-Narayanasamy/13678922.html

11. March 3, 2012
Centre hopeful of opening K-plant very soon: Narayanasamy
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_centre-hopeful-of-opening-kudankulam-power-plant-very-soon_1657913

12. February 26, 2012
Koodankulam to be operational at the earliest: Narayasamy
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kudankulam-to-be-operational-at-the-earliest/233926-3.html

13. January 14, 2012
Nuke plant to be commissioned soon: Narayanasamy
http://www.24dunia.com/english-news/shownews/0/Nuke-plant-will-be-commissioned-soon/12936079.html
14. October 18, 2010
Unstarred question in Rajya Sabha No. 933
Criticality and Power testing in Kudankulam 1 by December 2010
www.dae.nic.in/writereaddata/rs181110.pdf