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“NUCLEUS FOR THE NATION”

Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactors to release nuclear energy,

and thereby generate electricity. The term includes nuclear ssion, nuclear

decay and nuclear fusion. Presently, the nuclear ssion of elements in the

actinide series of the periodic table produce the vast majority of nuclear

energy in the direct service of humankind, with nuclear decay processes,

primarily in the form of geothermal energy, and radioisotope thermoelectric

generators, in niche uses making up the rest.

 The pursuit of nuclear energy for electricity generation began soon

after the discovery in the early 2th century that radioactive elements, such

as radium, released immense amounts of energy, according to the principle

of mass!energy e"uivalence. #owever, means of harnessing such energy

was impractical, because intensely radioactive elements were, by their very

nature, short$lived %high energy release is correlated with short half$lives&.

#owever, the dream of harnessing 'atomic energy' was "uite strong, even

though it was dismissed by such fathers of nuclear physics like (rnest

)utherford as 'moonshine.' This situation, however, changed in the late

*+s, with the discovery of nuclear ssion.

Nuclear power is the fourth$largest source of electricity in -ndia after

thermal, hydroelectric and renewable sources of electricity. s of 2*, -ndia

has 2* nuclear reactors in operation in / nuclear power plants, having an

installed capacity of 0/1 3and producing a total of ,2+2.+* 43h of

electricity while 5 more reactors are under construction and are e6pected to

generate an additional 7, 3.

-n 8ctober 2*, -ndia drew up 'an ambitious plan to reach a nuclear

power capacity of 5, 3 in 22', but, after the 2** 9ukushima

nuclear disaster in :apan, 'populations around proposed -ndian NPP sites

have launched protests, raising "uestions about atomic energy as a clean

and safe alternative to fossil fuels'.

 

 There have been mass protests againstthe 9rench$backed ++ 3 :aitapur Nuclear Power Project in aharashtra

and the )ussian$backed 2 3 ;udankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil

Nadu. The state government of 3est <engal state has also refused

permission to a proposed 5 3 facility near the town of #aripur that

intended to host si6 )ussian reactors. Public -nterest =itigation %P-=& has

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also been led against the government>s civil nuclear programme at the

?upreme @ourt. 

Aespite this opposition, the capacity factor of -ndian reactors was at

/+B in the year 2**$*2 compared to /*B in 2*$**. Nine out of twenty

-ndian reactors recorded an unprecedented +/B capacity factor during 2**$*2. 3ith the imported uranium from 9rance, the 22 3 ;akrapar 2 P#3)

reactors recorded ++B capacity factor during 2**$*2. The vailability factor

for the year 2**$*2 was at 1+B.

-ndia has been making advances in the eld of thorium$based fuels,

working to design and develop a prototype for an atomic reactor using

thorium and low$enriched uranium, a key part of -ndiaCs three stage nuclear

power programme. The country has also recently re$initiated its involvement

in the =(N) research activities, in addition to supporting work done in the

fusion power area through the -T() initiative.

-ndiaCs and siaCs rst nuclear reactor was the psara research reactor.

Aesigned and built in -ndia, with assistance and fuel from the Dnited

;ingdom, psara reached criticality on ugust 7, *+05 and was inaugurated

on :anuary 2, *+0/. further research nuclear reactor and its rst nuclear

power plant were built with assistance from @anada. The 7 3 research

reactor agreement was signed in *+05, and @-)D? achieved rst criticality in

*+5. This reactor was supplied to -ndia on the assurance that it would not

be used for military purposes, but without eEective safeguards against such

use. The agreement for -ndiaCs rst nuclear power plant at )ajasthan, )PP$

*, was signed in *+5, followed by )PP$2 in *+55. These reactors contained

rigid safeguards to ensure they would not be used for a military programme.

 The 2 3e )PP$* reactor was based on the @NAD reactor at Aouglas

Point and began operation in *+/2. Aue to technical problems the reactor

had to be downrated from 2 3 to * 3. The technical and design

information were given free of charge by (@= to -ndia. The Dnited ?tates

and @anada terminated their assistance after the detonation of -ndiaCs rst

nuclear e6plosion in *+/7.

-ndiaCs domestic uranium reserves are small and the country is

dependent on uranium imports to fuel its nuclear power industry. ?ince early

*++s, )ussia has been a major supplier of nuclear fuel to -ndia. Aue to

dwindling domestic uranium reserves, electricity generation from nuclear

power in -ndia declined by *2.1B from 25 to 21. 

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=arge deposits of natural uranium, which promises to be one of the top

2 of the worldCs reserves, have been found in the Tummalapalle belt in the

southern part of the ;adapa basin in ndhra Pradesh in arch 2**. The

tomic inerals Airectorate for (6ploration and )esearch %A& of -ndia,

which e6plores uranium in the country, has so far discovered 7+, tonnes

of natural uranium %D81& in just *0 kilometres %+. mi& of the *5

kilometres %++ mi& long belt and there are indications that the total "uantity

could be three times that amount. 

-n recent years, -ndia has shown increased interest in thorium fuels and

fuel cycles because of large deposits of thorium %0*1 tonnes& in the form

of monaFite in beach sands as compared to very modest reserves of low$

grade uranium %+2 tonnes&.

-ndia now envisages to increase the contribution of nuclear power to

overall electricity generation capacity from 2.1B to +B within 20 years. <y22, -ndiaCs installed nuclear power generation capacity will increase to

2, 3 % 2.G** 3atts, which is 2 43&. s of 2+, -ndia stands +th in

the world in terms of number of operational nuclear power reactors.

-ndigenous atomic reactors include TP?$, and $7, both of which are 07 3

reactors. -ndiaCs D?H/*/ million fast breeder reactor