India envisages a four-fold growth in electricity generation capacity reaching778 GWe by 2031-32. This is actually a modest target! It only aims at a per capita energy consumption of energy of about 2400 kwh per annum at eight per cent growth rate. Nuclear energy will have a clear advantage in meeting the energy demand compared to conventional sources. For example,, for a 1000MWe power plant, 160 tonnes of uranium (or five trucks of 32t a year) would be needed, as against 2.6 million tonnes of coal a year. No doubt there will be a high-level waste of 35 tonnes a year and low level waste of 460 tonnes but that can be taken care of with due safety measures.

   Today, India has a largely indigenous nuclear power program and expects to have 14,600 MWe nuclear capacity on line by 2020. It aims to supply 25 per cent of electricity from nuclear power by 2050. Our country is one of the top leaders in breeder technology, which is more relevant to this....