Nuclear India
Nuclear India – Complete GK Capsule for Railway Exams
1. India’s Nuclear Journey – Key Milestones
| Year | Event | Location / Remark |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) set up | Mumbai—nucleus of Indian nuclear science |
| 1954 | Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) created | Under Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, reporting directly to PM |
| 1956 | Asia’s first research reactor “Apsara” goes critical | BARC, Trombay—uses 80 % enriched U-Al alloy |
| 1960 | Canada-India Colombo Plan | CIRUS (40 MW) reactor supplied; started 1960, critical 1963 |
| 1974 | Pokhran-I (“Smiling Buddha”) | India’s first peaceful nuclear explosion (18 May) |
| 1983-87 | Dhruva (100 MW) reactor commissioned | Indigenous route to weapons-grade plutonium |
| 1998 | Pokhran-II (Shakti series) | 5 tests (11-13 May) – fusion & fission devices |
| 2008 | India-specific NSG waiver | Civil nuclear cooperation agreement signed |
| 2010 | Civil liability law enacted | Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 |
| 2017 | 20-th nuclear power reactor (KGS-3) connected | Kaiga, Karnataka – 700 MWe PHWR |
| 2023 | 10-th indigenised 700 MWe PHWR at Kakrapar | Unit-4 start of construction |
2. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) – At a Glance
| Parameter | Figure (as on Jan 2024) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity | 8180 MWe (23 reactors) |
| Under construction | 8 reactors = 7000 MWe |
| % of total electricity | ~3.1 % |
| Largest site | KKNPP, Tamil Nadu (2×1000 MWe VVER, 2 more U/C) |
| Reactor types | PHWR (220/540/700), BWR (TAPS), VVER-1000 (KKNPP) |
| 2025 target | 13,480 MWe (DAE Vision-2025) |
3. Nuclear Institutions & Their Heads (Latest)
| Institution (Year) | Headquarters | Present Chairman / Secy |
|---|---|---|
| DAE (1954) | Mumbai | Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty |
| BARC (1957) | Trombay, Mumbai | Dr. A. K. Mohanty (additional charge) |
| NPCIL (1987) | Mumbai | Shri B. C. Pathak |
| Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) | Mumbai | Shri D. K. Shukla |
| IGCAR (Kalpakkam, 1971) | Tamil Nadu | Dr. Arun Kumar Bhaduri |
4. India’s Three-Stage Nuclear Programme
| Stage | Fuel | Reactor | By-product | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Natural U | PHWR 220/700 | Pu-239 | Commercial—23 reactors |
| II | Pu-239 + Th-232 | Fast Breeder (500 MWe) | U-233 | PFBR—50 MWt FBTR running; 500 MWe PFBR to be commissioned 2024 |
| III | U-233 + Th-232 | Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) | — | Design complete, demo plant planned |
5. Uranium & Thorium Reserves
| Mineral | India’s Share (World Rank) | Key Mines |
|---|---|---|
| Uranium | 74,000 tU (≈ 1 %—13th) | Jaduguda (Jh), Tummalapalle (AP), Lambapur-Telangana |
| Thorium | 8-10 lakh t ThO₂ (25 %—1st) | Monazite coasts—Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha |
6. One-Liner Rapid-Fire Facts (RRB Favourite)
- India is the only country that has thorium-based 3-stage programme planned.
- Pokhran-I (1974) made India 6th nation to explode a nuclear device.
- Pokhran-II (1998) code name “Operation Shakti”; yield of thermonuclear device ≈ 45 kT.
- CIRUS & Dhruva—sole reactors giving weapons-grade Pu for Indian arsenal.
- Tarapur (TAPS-1&2)—oldest commercial reactors (1969)—originally US (GE) BWR.
- Kudankulam—biggest nuclear power site (6×1000 MWe planned).
- PFBR (500 MWe) at Kalpakkam will make India 2nd country after Russia to commercialise FBR.
- Indira Gandhi first coined phrase “Atoms for Peace and Development” in 1970s.
- India not signatory to NPT & CTBT but adheres to voluntary moratorium since 1998.
- Nuclear Liability Act, 2010—operator liability capped at ₹1,500 crore.
- DAE Vision-2032—target 22,480 MWe; Vision-2050—target 63 GWe + 275 GWe from thorium.
7. MCQ Practice Set (Railway Pattern)
Q1. India’s first nuclear reactor Apsara became critical on—
Ans: 4 August 1956
Q2. Who is known as the father of the Indian nuclear programme?
Ans: Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhabha
Q3. The 1974 Pokhran test was codenamed—
Ans: Smiling Buddha
Q4. The biggest nuclear power station in India (by capacity) is—
Ans: Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP)
Q5. Which among the following is NOT a uranium mine of India?
Ans: Husainpur (Bihar) – not a mine
Q6. The indigenously designed 700 MWe PHWR is being set up at Kakrapar, Gujarat and also at—
Ans: Rajasthan (RAPP-7&8)
Q7. Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) is located at—
Ans: Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu
Q8. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) was constituted in—
Ans: 1983 (15 Nov)
Q9. India conducted 5 nuclear tests in May 1998; the thermonuclear device was shot on—
Ans: 11 May (Shakti-I)
Q10. The only country that supplied a power reactor to India after the 2008 NSG waiver is—
Ans: Russia (Kudankulam)
Q11. Thorium is found in India mainly in the form of—
Ans: Monazite (a phosphate mineral)
Q12. India is not a signatory to—
Ans: Both NPT & CTBT
Q13. The maximum operator liability under the Civil Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 is—
Ans: ₹1,500 crore
Q14. Which reactor produces weapon-grade plutonium for India’s strategic programme?
Ans: Dhruva
Q15. India’s share of nuclear electricity in total mix is approximately—
Ans: 3 %
Q16. The 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor uses—
Ans: Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel (Pu-U)
Q17. “Atoms for Peace” slogan in Indian context was first highlighted by—
Ans: Indira Gandhi
8. Quick-View Table – Nuclear Explosions & Yields
| Test | Date | Devices | Claimed Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokhran-I | 18 May 1974 | 1 fission | 8-12 kT |
| Shakti-1 | 11 May 1998 | Thermonuclear | 45 kT |
| Shakti-2 | 11 May 1998 | Fission | 12 kT |
| Shakti-3,4,5 | 13 May 1998 | Sub-kiloton | 0.2-0.5 kT each |
9. International Agreements & Waivers
- 2008 – NSG waiver → India can trade civil nuclear tech without signing NPT.
- 2010 – Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) ratified.
- 2014 – INFCIRC/754 – separation plan with IAEA.
- 2016 – Japan-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signed (came into force 2017).
Keep revising the one-liners & tables; expect at least 1-2 questions from “Nuclear India” in every Railway GK section.
BETA
