QUESTION 16
GS3
15 marks
Give an account of the growth and development of nuclear science and technology in India. What is the advantage of fast breeder reactor programme in India?
WRITE IN
11 min
250 words
What the examiner wants
Trace India's nuclear science development and explain the advantage of fast breeder reactors.
Give an account + WhatAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Growth: Atomic Energy Commission (1948), Apsara (1956, Asia's first research reactor), Tarapur (1969), Pokhran (1974, 1998), indigenous PHWRs, India–US 123 Agreement and NSG waiver (2008)≈50 words
- 2Three-stage programme: PHWRs (natural uranium) → fast breeders (plutonium) → thorium reactors≈50 words
- 3FBR advantages: breeds more fuel than it uses, uses spent fuel, bridges to thorium, energy security with limited uranium≈50 words
- 4Status: FBTR (1985), PFBR 500 MWe at Kalpakkam with core loading in 2024; Nuclear Energy Mission for SMRs (2025)≈50 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
MilestonesThree-stage planFBR role and advantagesStatusConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Only describing power plants without S&T milestones
- Not linking FBR to thorium
Draw this
- Three-stage flowchart: uranium → plutonium → thorium
Value addition
- ThinkerHomi Bhabha's three-stage programme (1950s) was designed around India's large thorium reserves.Department of Atomic Energy
- StatusCore loading of the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam began in March 2024.DAE, 2024
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 11 minutes, then get it checked.