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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Eternal India
encyclopedia
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.
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National Immunisation Mission, 1985-90
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
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
(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