40 (A) India's Nuclear Programme

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The department of atomic energy (DAE), established on 3 august 1954 is

engaged in the development of nuclear power technology, applications of
radiations technologies in the field of agriculture, medicine, industry and
basic research.
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DAE has been pursing the following 3 stages nuclear power programme :
The first stage comprises setting up of pressurized heavy water reactors
(PHWRs) and associated fuel cycle facilities. In PHWRs natural uranium as
fuel and heavy water as modulator and coolant.
The second stage envisages setting up of fast breeder reactors (FBIs)
backed by reprocessing plants and plutonium based fuel fabrication
plants. Plutonium is produced by irradiation -238.
The third stage is based on the thorium -uranium 233 cycles. Uranium
233 is obtained by irradiation of thorium.
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(A) Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors

For the Indian nuclear power programme, which took off in the sixties, PHWR was the
reactors of choice for the first stage of the programme. However, to gain operational
experience, initially an atomic power station comprising two boiling water reactors
(BWR) was set up at tarapur, Maharastra. This was a turnkey project of the general
electric of USA. Commissioned in 1969, the station is still in operation.
The first two PHWRs, at rawatbhata, Rajasthan, started commercial production in 1973
and 1981. The first unit (RAPS-1) was built with the help of the atomic energy of Canada
ltd. (AECL). However, the second unit was completed with the indigenous research and
development endeavour and the support of the Indian industry. This success followed
commissioning of the two 220 MWe reactors at kalpakkam near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in
the years 1884 and 1986. Later, the design of the 20 MWe PHWR was standardized and
two reactors of this design were commissioned at Narora, Uttar Pradesh, in 1991 and
1992.
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(A) Fast Reactor Programme

The second stage of nuclear power generation envisages setting up of fast
breeder reactors (FBRs) backed by reprocessing plants and plutonium
based fuel fabrication plants. These fast breeder system produce more fuel
than what they consume. FBRs can increase fuel utilization by about sixty
times of what is possible with PHWRs.
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(A) Thorium based Reactors

Thorium utilization is the long term core objective of the Indian nuclear
power programme for providing energy for the country a sustainable basis.
The third stage of the Indian nuclear power programe is based on the
thoriumuranium-322 cycle.
A beginning has already been made by introducing thorium, in a limited
way, in research reactors and in pressurized heavy water reactors.
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DAEs programme relating to radiation technologies and application covers

building and operation of research reactors for production of radioisotopes, and
other sources of radiation such as radiation such as accelerators and lasers and
developing and deploying radiation technology applications in the field of
medicine, agriculture and industry.
(A) Research Reactors

The research reactors set up by DAE so far, have been apsara (1mW,fuel: enriched
uranium-aluminum alloy), CIRUS (40 MW,fuel:Natural uranium), zerlina (zero
energy , natural; uranium), purnima I-III(Fuel: plutonium/uranium-233), Dhruva
(100 MW, fuel: Natural uranium) at trombay (maharastra) and kamini (30kW,feul:
uranium-233-A1 alloy) and fast breeder test reactors (40 MW, Fuel: uraniumplutonium carbide) at kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu) of the research reactors, zerlina
was decommi-ssioned in 1984, and purnima serious made way for kamini.
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(B) Radioisotope Production & Processing
India is a leading producer of radioisotopes in the world. Radioisotopes are

produced in the research reactors at trombay, atomic power reactors at various
places in the country and cyclotron at Kolkata.
(C) Applications of Radioisotopes

The radioisotopes produced at trombay find wide applications in the field of
agriculture and food, medicine and health care, industry, and research. Based on
these applications, the following programmers have been established.
(D) Nuclear Agriculture

The nuclear agriculture programme of DAE focuses on the use of radiation
technology for the development of high yielding crop seeds, radiation processing of
food items, fertilizer and pesticide-realated studies and other areas.
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(E) Crop Improvement
BARC in collaboration with agricultural universities has been engaged in research

and development in the field of crop improvement. The center has successfully
developed several high yielding crop verities. Of these 29 varieties have been
notified and released for commercial cultivation by the ministry of agriculture
government of India.
(F) Food Processing

These are radiation for demonstration of high and low does applications of
radiations. These are radiation processing plant set up BRIT at navi Mumbai for
high does radiation processing of spices, and KRUSHAK (krushi utpadan sanrakshan
Kendra), set up by BARC at lasalgaon near nashik, for low dose applications of
radiations for food preservation. This plant processes onion, pulses, rawa and
turmeric.
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(G) Nuclear Medicine and Health Care
Radioisotopes and their formulations find wide applications in diagnosis, therapy

and health care. BARC and BRIT are the main centers of this activity.
At BARC, cesium-137 based brachy therapy sources are routinely produced. For
treatment of cancer of eye, radiations sources of the size of rice grain, containing
2-3 mille curie of lodine-125, have been produced here. Another salient
development is the digital medical imaging system based on a charge coupled
device (CCD).
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2011
Q. The function of heavy water in a nuclear reactor is to
(a) Slow down the speed of neutrons
(b) Increase the speed of neutrons
(c) Cool down the reactor
(d) Stop the nuclear reaction
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40 (A) India's Nuclear Programme

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www.iasexamportal.

The department of atomic energy (DAE), established on 3 august 1954 is

(A) Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors

(A) Fast Reactor Programme

(A) Thorium based Reactors

DAEs programme relating to radiation technologies and application covers

(A) Research Reactors

(B) Radioisotope Production & Processing

India is a leading producer of radioisotopes in the world. Radioisotopes are

(C) Applications of Radioisotopes

(D) Nuclear Agriculture

(E) Crop Improvement

BARC in collaboration with agricultural universities has been engaged in research

(F) Food Processing

(G) Nuclear Medicine and Health Care

Radioisotopes and their formulations find wide applications in diagnosis, therapy

Online Coaching for IAS Exams

Books for IAS Exams

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