HOW INDIA BECOMES NUCLEAR ENERGY RICH STATE...

India’snuclear programaims tocapture the spirit ofthe country'sjourney in nuclear power energy, emphasizing its positive impact on the nation's growth, sustainability, global standing and also protecting its borders.

The journey of India's nuclear energy success has been marked by significant achievements, challenges, and milestones. India has a largely indigenous nuclear power programme. The government is committed to growing its nuclear power capacity as part of its massive infrastructure development programme. It has set ambitious targets to grow nuclear capacity.

Nuclear power is the fifth largest source of electricity in India after coal, gas, hydroelectricity, and wind power. India has been making advances in the field of thorium-based fuels, working to design and develop a prototype for an atomic reactor using thorium and low-enriched uranium, a key part of India's three-stage nuclear power program.

Here's an overview of key stages in the evolution of India's nuclear energy program:

NASCENT STAGE 1900S)

As early as 1901, the Geological Survey of India GSI) had recognised India as potentially having significant deposits of radioactive ores, including pitchblende, uranium, and thorianite. In the ensuing 50 years, however, little to no effort was made to exploit those resources. During the 1920s and 1930s, Indian scientists maintained close links to their counterparts in Europe and the United States, and were well aware of the latest developments in physics. Several Indian physicists, notably Daulat Singh Kothari, Meghnad Saha, Homi J. Bhabha and R. S. Krishnan, conducted pioneering research in nuclear physics in Europe during the 1930s.