India’s Nuclear Energy Program

Abstract

I describe the development of nuclear energy in India, its current status and its future prospects vis-à-vis the global trends in the nuclear industry that are also summarized. A short discussion on carbon emissions and global warming is provided to assess the contribution that nuclear energy can make in mitigating the issue of climate change. The progress in India’s nuclear program prior to and in the aftermath of the Indo-US Nuclear deal is compared. The impact of the Nuclear Liability Act of 2010 on the expansion of our nuclear capacity is analysed. Finally, the public concern over radioactive hazards of nuclear energy is addressed. The genuine uncertainties in obtaining a reliable estimate of the damage done by a reactor explosion are pointed out, which make it difficult even for the intelligentsia to assess, on its own, the true extent of the danger. This underlines the importance of government agencies and NGOs dealing with this area retaining their credibility with the public.