UPSC Mains 2017 · GS III · Q16 · 15 marks · 250 words

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 ?

हिन्दी में

भारत में नाभिकीय विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी की संवृद्धि और विकास का विवरण प्रस्तुत कीजिए । भारत में तीव्र प्रजनक रियेक्टर कार्यक्रम का क्या लाभ है ?

EnergyIndigenisation and Defence Technology

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Explain the significance of the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) in achieving the goals of India's Nuclear energy program.”

Shakti DubeyAIR 1 · CSE 2024 · 154 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a date or context

H.J Bhabha has provided for 3-stage Nuclear development program for India which started in 1969.

Body · points and prose

Significance of Fast Breeder reactor :- Recently India kickstarted it's second stage of Nuclear energy progam, becoming the only second country after Russia to have a fast Breeder reactor (FBR).

Diagram
STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 1969-2023 Uses U235 Use of Thorium used U238 as & PU239 to generate raw material & little bit Nuclear to produce of thorium energy Plutonium (produced (PU239) & from stage 1) fissile uranium (U235)

Significance of FBR (1) It uses U235 & Pu239 which is the product of stage 1

(2) Helps India overcome challenge of low Uranium reserves (↓ import) (3) The Fast Breeder reactor can use Thorium to produce fissile material (4) It does not generate nuclear waste excessively (5) Product from one stage will be used as inoculent for another stage. (6) FBR plant will help India achive the target put forward of COP28 → Tripling the use of nuclear energy and decreasing reliance on Fossil based energy.

Close · a way forward

Govearnment of India has set up a FBR plant in Kalpakkam Nuclear Plant (TN) that will help India acheive it's Panchamrit targets

3 more toppers’ answers to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper III, Q16. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.