Department of Atomic Energy
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DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY The vision of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is to empower India through application of nuclear science and technology, and to provide better quality of life to its citizens. During the period from May, 2014 till December 31, 2014, the programmes of the Department achieved impressive growth in various segments and domains. These are described below. In Nuclear Power generation,Unit 1 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project-1 (KKNPP-1) of 1000 MWe commenced commercial operation on December 31, 2014. With this, the total number of operating power reactors is 20 with an installed capacity of 5680MWe. The second Unit, KKNPP – 2 is also in advanced stage of commissioning. During the calendar year 2014 the highest ever generation of 37146 MUs was recorded which is 10% higher than last year's generation. The Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS)-5 recorded a continuous run of 765 days which is the best in Asia and the second best in the world. Consent of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) was obtained in October 2014 to establish the Gorakhpur AnuVidyutPariyojanaHarayana (GHAVP) Units-1&2 (2x700 MWe PHWRs). In the area of uranium exploration, over 16,535 tonnes of additional Uranium Oxide (U3O8) reserves have been established in Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Jharkhand during the year thus taking the country's uranium resources to over 2, 14,158 tonnes of U3O8. The Tummalapalle uranium project is readying for commissioning in 2015-16. The mine has achieved the desired ore production capacity and adequate ore has been stockpiled. Heavy Water production during the financial year 2014-15 was more than 104% of the target. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) being constructed at Kalpakkam in Tamilnadu is nearing completion and is expected to be operational this year. The entire quantity of enriched Boron for the 1st core of the PFBR has been successfully prepared. With this,India has found place in the few handful countries possessing such capability. DAE has been playing a significant role in the development and applications of various radioisotopes and radiation technologies in healthcare, industry, agriculture and research. India is one of the leading countries in the isotope technology today. In Nuclear Medicine and Healthcare, more than 23,000 consignments of ready to use radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and therapy of thyroid disorders, neuroendocrine cancers, bone pain palliation were supplied to various nuclear medicine centres and hospitals all over India. Over 2, 08,245 in-vivo diagnostic investigations were carried out this year with varied diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. Around 5575 Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and Immuno-radiometric Assay (IRMA) kits amounting to carry out about 572,000 in-vitro investigations were supplied to various hospitals, research centres and immunoassay laboratories throughout India. Four units of Cobalt Teletherapy Machines 'Bhabhatron' built indigenously at BARC were commissioned one each at Guwahati, Bathinda andMungeli in India and Zambia in Africa taking the total number of operating units to 30. A new 22-bed ward for cancer patients was commissionedat ACTREC in Navi Mumbai. Over 2100 major procedures were conducted and about 1000 in-patients were admitted in the Leukemia/ Lymphoma ward and around 50 outpatients/day were seen in the adult hemato-lymphoid OPD. A Cancer Registry has been established at Vishakhapatnam. Preparations are in full swing for construction of a cancer hospital in Andhra Pradesh.Meanwhile, OPD activities have commenced and approximately, 150 patients have been treated so far. In nuclear agriculture, a high yielding pigeon-pea variety Trombay Akola Red Arhar (PKV- TARA) was released and Gazette notified for commercial cultivation in Maharashtra. In the area of Food processing, the technology for Fruit Vegetable Dip Treatment Machine for processing of Litchi and other Fruits and Vegetables was developed. Litchi processing technology was transferred to SCRIMAD, Madagascar. Two Radiation Processing plants were commissioned at Unnao, Lucknow and Bavla, Ahmedabad in 2014. The total number of Radiation Processing Plants commissioned in the private sector in the country is now 12. Towards Human Resource Development and Knowledge Management, the HomiBhabha National Institute (HBNI) continued to strengthen its linkages with premier research and academic institutes in the country and abroad. The Institute awarded 430 Ph.Ds, 669 M.Techs, 9 M.Phils, 118 M.Scs (Five years integrated and as part of integrated M.Sc.-Ph.D programme), 24 M.Sc. (Engg), 159 diplomas in radiation protection, 47 diplomas in medical radioisotope technology, 40 diploma in radiation medicine and 155 post graduate medical degrees till November, 2014. During the period of report, 12 engineering post-graduate students were inducted into DAE Graduate Fellowship Scheme (DGFS) for Ph.D. A new diploma course in Fusion Technology has been started during the year. Fourteen technologies have been transferred till December 2014 and six new technologies have been introduced into public domain. Twenty technology transfers of bio-gas plant ‘Nisargruna’ were processed. Eight Nisargruna plants are under construction under MoUs with various Municipal Corporations. Four new Advance Knowledge and Rural Technology Implementation Programme (AKRUTI) Agreements were signed with Companies/Organisations and Individuals during the year. As part of DAE Outreach Centre (DAE-ORC), two AKRUTI centres were set up in two villages in Sholapur district. Awareness camps about Soil organic Carbon testing kit were organized in 13 villages for about 285 farmers. An Inter-Governmental agreement with Australia for co-operation in the peaceful uses of Nuclear Energy was signed on 5th September, 2014.An understanding on the CLND Act of India and its provisions was arrived at between India and USA during the visit of President of USA to India in January this year. Also, the text of the Administrative Arrangements pursuant to India-USA Civil Nuclear Co-operation Agreement (signed earlier in 2008) was finalised between the two countries. India and Russia signed a “Strategic Vision for Strengthening Co-operation in Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy” on 11th December, 2014. An agreement for co-operation with the Radiation & Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland was also signed on 15th of October, 2014 by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. The Department of Atomic Energy and its constituent units organised collective cleaning programme on 2nd October, 2015 on the eve of 150th Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi under the “Swachcha Bharat Mission” along with SwachchataShapath called by the Prime Minister's Office.A series of seminars on ‘DAE technologies relevant to Swachcha Bharat Abhiyan’ have been started. First such seminar in the series was held at Gujrat Technological University, Ahmedabad. A publication with details of such technologies has also been brought out. DAE is participating in the ‘National Mission on Clean Ganga’ as adviser and technology provider. DAE, for the first time displayed a tableau in the prestigious 66th Republic Day Parade Ceremony at Rajpath, New Delhi. The tableau, based on the theme “Atoms in the Service of the Nation”, presented nuclear power as a clean and environment friendly energy option for peace, power and prosperity by showcasing the achievements and services of the Department in the areas of healthcare management and food & agriculture. DEPARTMENT OF SPACE 1. With the successful Mars Orbit Insertion of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft on September 24, 2014, ISRO became the fourth Space Agency and first Asian country to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars and the first nation in the world to do so in its first attempt. All the five scientific instruments are providing valuable data about the Mars surface features and Martian atmosphere. The images captured by the Mars Color Camera are found to be of good quality. Apart from the technological achievements, Mars orbiter Mission has generated substantial interest in Space Sciences among the youth in the country. Mars orbiter Mission has been awarded “Space Pioneer Award” for science and engineering category for the year 2015 by the US based National Space Society. The Indira Gandhi Peace prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to ISRO in recognition of its path breaking achievement, culminating in Mars Orbiter Mission, its significant contribution in strengthening international cooperation in peaceful use of outer space. 2. The successful launch of first experimental flight of India’s future heavy lift launch vehicle GSLV Mk III, also known as LVM3-X, on December 18, 2014, which carried Crew Module atmospheric re-entry Experiment (CARE) as its payload, marked India’s progress towards self-reliance in launching four ton class of communication satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. This flight has validated the complex atmospheric regime of flight and demonstrated the integrity of design of GSLV Mk III heavy lift next generation launch vehicle. With the successful splash down and recovery of CARE module, this flight has also demonstrated re-entry characteristics of the Crew module which is of relevance for future Human Spaceflight. 3. India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C26) successfully launched India’s third satellite IRNSS-1C, from Sriharikota on October 16, 2014. As part of Space Commerce, French Remote Sensing Satellite SPOT-7 and four more co-passenger satellites from Canada,