NEW MILLENNIUM INDIAN TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE (NMITLI):
- NMITLI Programme is being operated to establish new technology paradigms for industry that are sustainable and eco-friendly.
- Under the scheme two categories of projects, viz., (i) Nationally Evolved projects (NEP), and (ii) Industry Originated Projects (IOP) are developed and supported.
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Some of the activities of CSIR in HRD are:
- Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes and CSIR Young scientist Awards (YSA);
- Selection of Junior Research Fellows (JRF) through National Eligibility Test (NET);
- Selection of Senior Research Fellows (SRF), SRF Extended Research Associates (RA), Senior Research Associates (SRA) and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Fellows (SPMF);
- funding of Extra Mural Research (EMR) schemes at universities/R&D organizations;
- visiting Associateship scheme; travel / conference / symposium grants;
- CSIR Programme on Youth for Leadership in Science (CPYLS).
ATOMIC ENERGY
- The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), established in 1954 is engaged in the development of nuclear power technology, applications of radiation technologies in the fields of agriculture, medicine, industry, and basic research.
NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMME
DAE has been pursuing the following 3-stage Nuclear Power Programme:
- The first stage comprises setting up of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRS) and associated fuel cycle facilities. PHWRS use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator and coolant.
- The second stage envisages setting up of Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRS) backed by reprocessing plants and plutonium—based fuel fabrication plants. Plutonium is produced by irradiation of uranium-238.
- The third stage is based on the thorium-uranium-233 Uranium-233 is obtained by irradiation of thorium.
- The first stage of Nuclear Power Programme is already in commercial domain.
- The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), a public sector undertaking of DAE, is responsible for the design, construction and operation of nuclear power reactors. The company operates 18 reactors raising installed capacity of 4340 MWe.
- In addition, the company is also engaged in construction of 4 nuclear power reactors (2 PHWRS and 2 Light Water Reactors) totalling 2440 MWe capacity.
- The second stage of nuclear power generation programme is geared towards setting up of fast breeder reactors. These reactors produce more fuel than they consume.
- The Fast Breeder Programme is in the technology demonstration stage.
- To gain experience in the second stage, the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) has been engaged in the design and development of liquid sodium cooled fast breeder reactors. IGCAR has successfully developed the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) technology.
- The operational experience of FBTR of more than two decades and further technology developments have facilitated the design of a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (currently under construction at Kalpakkam).
- The third stage of the Nuclear Power Programme is in technology development stage.
- The ongoing development of 300 MWe Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) at BARC aims at developing expertise for thorium utilization and demonstrating advanced safety concepts.
- Thorium-based systems such as AHWR can be set up on commercial scale only after a large capacity based on fast breeder reactors is built up.
STAGE-I PRESSURISED HEAVY WATER REACTORS
- Initially an atomic power station comprising two boiling water reactors (BWR) was set up at Tarapur, Maharashtra. 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 1984 and 1986.
- Later, the design of the 220 MWe PHWR was standardized and two reactors of this design were commissioned at Narora, Uttar Pradesh, in 1991 and 1992.
- This technology of PHWR reached commercial maturity with the commissioning of two 220 MWe PHWRS at Kakrapar (Gujarat) in 1993 and 1995.
- In the year 2000, four state-of-the-art 220 MWe PHWRS, two each at Kaiga (Karnataka) and Rawatbhata (Rajasthan) came online. One more 220 MWe PHWR was commissioned at Kaiga in May 2007.
- The reactor design of 220 MWe PHWR was successfully scaled up to 540 MWe.
- Two reactors of this scaled-up design have been successfully commissioned at Tarapur, in the years 2005 and
- DAE has an ambitious nuclear power programme that aims at achieving an installed nuclear power capacity of 20,000 MWe by the year 2020, through internal resources & external collaborations.
