Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

(TAPS) consisting of two enriched uranium fuelled boiling water reactor (BWR) of 210 MWe capacity each. TAPS was set up by the USA on a turnkey basis. Two prototype units of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station using natural uranium as fuel of 220 MWe capacity each attained criticality in December 1972 and April 1981 at Rawatbhatta (Rajasthan). Much of the major equipment for Unit I of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station was imported from Can- ada. Unit II was built indigenously. On January 27, 1984 the Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam, near Madras, started commercial operation. The second reactor became operational in March 1986. These were the first reactors to be indigenously designed and constructed. This was followed by two more 235 MWe reactors at Narora in Uttar Pradesh which went critical in March 1989 and October 1991. In 1985 the 40 MWe sodium cooled fast breeder test reactor using indigenously developed mixed car- bide fuel attained criticality at Kalpakkam. The Rajasthan reactors use natural uranium fuelled pressur- ised heavy water reactors. (PHWRS). The Narora reactors are standardised versions of 235 MWe reactors and all future 235 MWe PHWRS will be of this design. The spent uranium fuel when reprocessed yields plutonium which will be used as fuel along with depleted uranium in the second stage fast breeder reactors. Reprocessing of the second stage spent fuel will result in produc- tion of more plutonium and uranium - 233 when thorium (of which India has vast deposits) is used as a blanket. The third stage reactors will be using Uranium - 233 in the thorium cycle. Heavy water is used as moderator and coolant in the PHWRS. The country’s first heavy water plant at Nangal (Punjab) has been in operation since 1962. Heavy water plants using the ammoniahy- drogen exchange process were subsequently set up at Baroda (Gujarat), Talcher (Orissa), Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), Thai (Mahar- ashtra) and Hazira (Gujarat). Heavy water production technology using the hydrogen sulphide water exchange process was devel- oped indigenously. Based on this process the first plant was set up at Rawatbhatta (Rajasthan) followed by the second at Manuguru (Andhra Pradesh). India’s uranium reserves are sufficient to support the first stage 10,000 MWe (PHWR) nuclear power generation over the design life. Exploitation of thorium reserves would lead to sup- porting about 2,50,000 MWe. The natural uranium oxide ore is processed and converted to yellowcake at the Uranium Corporation of India at Juduguda (Bihar). This is used as an input for fuel fabrication at the Nuclear Fuel Complex at Hyderabad. India has also developed technolo- gies for reprocessing of spent fuel and waste management. The Indian Rare Earths Limited has mineral sand separation plants at Manavalakurichi (Tamil Nadu) and Chavara (Kerala) a rare earth plant for monazite processing at Alwaye (Kerala) and Orissa Sands Complex at Chattarpur (Orissa). Set up in 1957 the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is the premier research institution of the country in nuclear sciences and allied fields. The country’s first one MW research reactor Ap- sara was built indigenously in 1956. In 1960, a 40 MW research reactor, Cirus, was commissioned at Trombay for developmental work including production of isotopes, experimentation and train- ing. Other facilities include a neutron source reactor Kamini at Kalpakkam and a seismic station at Gauribidanur (Karnataka). BARC has developed technologies in peaceful uses of atomic

National Institute of Health And Family Welfare

The National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, an au- tonomous body, serves as a technical wing of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It contributes to the planning as well as implementation of the Health and Family Welfare Programmes in the country and plays a vital role as an "apex institute" for con- sultancy and an update on technical matters concerning the imple- mentation and promotion of Health and Family Welfare Program- mes in the country. \ Following the successful eradication of smallpox, the Ex- panded Programme of Immunisation was launched in 1978 with the objective of increasing coverage under the various vaccines to firstly, reduce mortality and secondly, to control the outbreak of these diseases. Initially, the programme was involved in the administration of the Triple Antigen (DPT), Tetanus Toxide and BCD vaccines. Later in 1980, Oral Polio Vaccine was included in the programme. Having agreed to setting forth the target of Universal Child Immunisation by 1990 in pursuance of achieving Health for all by 2000 A.D., the Government of India launched the ambitious Universal Immunisation programme in 1985. In 1986, the Government desirous of according the highest pri- ority to this programme, announced the establishment of a Tech- nology Mission for vaccination of children and pregnant women. Under the umbrella of Technology Mission, the objectives of the programme were widened from not merely increasing levels of vac- cination coverage but also mpving towards a status of self-reliance in vaccine production and other equipments required for the pro- gramme. Department of Atomic Energy The Atomic Energy Commission was established in 1948 and the Department of Atomic Energy in 1954 . The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, is the premier institution under the DAE with three subsidiary units viz. Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research at Kalpakkam (near Madras), Variable Energy Cyclotron at Calcutta, and Centre for Advanced Technology, In- dore. The DAE also supports research at the Tata Institute of Fun- damental Research, (Bombay), Tata Memorial Centre (Bombay) and Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Calcutta. The other premier institutions are Atomic Minerals Division (AMD) for prospecting nuclear mineral resources; Uranium Corpo- ration of India (UCI) for processing uranium ore; Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) for fabricating nuclear fuel; Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IRE) for processing thorium and zirconium; Electronic Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) for instrumentation and control systems as well as commercialising indigenously developed electronic devices and technologies; Heavy Water Division for production of heavy water; Waste Management Division (WMD) for treatment of ra- dioactive wastes and Power Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Division (PRFRD) for reprocessing. Generation of electricity from nuclear energy commenced in 1969 with the commissioning of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station National Immunisation Mission, 1985-90 Ministry of Health & Family Welfare