GS3 › Science and Technology in Depth

Revision note: Nuclear Technology: Energy, Programme and Policy

  • Fission vs fusion; moderator (heavy water, graphite), control rods (boron, cadmium), coolant (sodium in FBR)
  • 3-stage (Bhabha): PHWR (natural U) → FBR (Pu; PFBR 500 MWe Kalpakkam, core loading Mar 2024) → thorium/U-233 (AHWR)
  • India ~25% of world thorium (monazite sands); ~8.8 GW, ~25 reactors; Tarapur 1969; Kakrapar 700 MW 2021; fleet mode 10 PHWRs; Nuclear Energy Mission 100 GW by 2047, SMRs
  • Pokhran 1974 (NSG created), 1998 (Shakti); doctrine 2003 (NFU); India–US deal 2008; NSG waiver Sept 2008; MTCR 2016, Wassenaar 2017, Australia Group 2018; not in NPT/CTBT
  • AERB 1983; CLNDA 2010 s.17(b); Fukushima 2011
Revision card summarising Nuclear Technology: Energy, Programme and Policy
One-page visual summary of the key points to revise.

Source: https://upscprep.in/upsc/gs3/science-and-technology-in-depth/nuclear-technology-energy-programme-and-policy/ · UPSCPrep.in

← Read the full lesson