Traditional GK

India's nuclear programme is based on the government's response to any nation's attack on its state or armed forces, both during peace and conflict. India's nuclear programme promotes consensus and give freedom to implement its options without limitations while providing a minimal credible warning and flexibility in determining nuclear weapon ownership.

Pillars of the Nuclear Programme of India

India became a nuclear power country without signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty to make it first country to accomplish something. The pillars of India’s programme Treaty are as mentioned below:

No-first-use

India has a no-first-use nuclear policy because it understands that using nuclear weapons aggressively is the last option when security fails and leaves no other choice.

A nuclear conflict between two countries would be disastrous in terms of casualties and would not produce strategic military choices; thus, the no-first-use policy is the best course of action.

Reputable minimal prevention

Nuclear theory states that a minimal nuclear defense must include of forces that are operationally and survivably ready for a strong command structure, effective intelligence, and substantial training and preparation.

Credibility, effectiveness, and survivability are the key components of India's nuclear prevention, which calls for a varied force of ready aircraft, sea-based resources, and mobile land-based missiles.

Nuclear Command Authority (NCA)

India announced a three-tiered Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) on January 4, 2003, to regulate the country's nuclear facilities. The National Security Board's nuclear program was authorized together with this board framework.

Included in the NCA are the following:

1. Political council 
2. The Executive Council; and
3. command of strategic forces

The Prime Minister leads a political council that authorizes nuclear weapon use, while the executive council, led by the National Security Adviser, provides input and implements directives.

What is the three-stage nuclear programme of India?

H. J. Bhabha, India's nuclear power father, developed a three-stage program aimes to become self-sufficient and utilize its abundant thorium reserves, despite of limited uranium availability.

The Three-Stage Nuclear Programme comprises three phases: pressurized heavy water reactors powered by natural uranium, fast breeder reactors powered by plutonium, and sophisticated nuclear power plants using thorium.

India's three-stage nuclear programme was created to take advantage of its high thorium-232 resources.

Dr. Homi J. Bhabha developed a three-stage nuclear program using India's third-largest thorium deposits for fuel production, converting unprocessed thorium into nuclear power.

Reason to Design India's Three-Step Nuclear Programme

Dr. Homi Bhaba designed India's three-phase nuclear power scheme in 1954. India was intended to benefit from energy security. Using India's significant thorium reserves while taking into account its limited uranium reserves was the main goal.

Only about 2% of the world's uranium reserves are in India, compared to 25% of the world's thorium reserves.

The first nuclear energy facilities were built in the early 1950s. Uranium was the most regularly used fuel in nuclear power reactors until recently.

Thus, HJ Bhabha introduced a self-sufficient method. This plan would lessen dependency on imports. Four years later, in 1958, the Indian government formally adopted the Three Stage Nuclear Programme.

In addition, APSARA, India's first nuclear reactor, started operating two years before the program's approval.

Objectives of the Three-Stage Nuclear Programme

India is the country with the largest percentage of the world's uranium reserves, although it only has a small portion of the world's thorium deposits.

The objective of this three-phase programme is to guarantee a self-sufficient and sustainable nuclear power industry in India by utilising the best possible resources and technological innovations.

Thorium is not naturally fissile like uranium is, thus it cannot initiate a nuclear chain reaction and generate energy on its own.

On the other hand, thorium may be transformed into U-233, another fissile material that is widely utilised as nuclear fuel.

India has put in place a three-stage programme since growing U-233 and creating a Thorium fuel cycle are multi-step processes.

This programme aims to effectively finish the thorium fuel cycle and become self-sufficient in supplying the nation's energy needs.

Three-Stage Nuclear Programme: Process

India's atomic energy program, initiated over four decades ago, focuses on sustainability through a closed fuel cycle, using 

1. Natural uranium for PHWRs,
2. Plutonium-based fuel in FBRs,
3. Thorium-based nuclear power plants.

Stage I

1. In the initial phase of its nuclear power programme, India fuels its PHWRs with natural uranium, producing energy and plutonium-239 as a byproduct.
2. The selection of PHWRs was based on their effective usage of uranium.
3. It was determined that heavy water production would be simpler to establish than uranium enrichment plants.
4. It was a smart move to employ PHWRs rather than LWRs because they use unenriched uranium, which India could create on its own.
5. The second phase of the programme will make use of the by-product plutonium-239.

Stage II

1. Plutonium-239 is used in the second phase of the nuclear power programme to produce mixed-oxide fuel for Fast Breeder Reactors. 
2. To create more plutonium-239, enriched uranium is mixed with the metal oxide that is produced when plutonium-239 fissions release energy.
3. Additionally, after a significant amount of plutonium-239 is gathered, the reactor will use thorium to create uranium-233. 
4. Uranium-233, a crucial component of the third phase program, is a Fast Breeder Reactor, constructed in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, using liquid sodium as a coolant.

Stage III

1. The goal of India's third nuclear power phase is to establish a nuclear fuel cycle that is sustainable.
2. Thorium and uranium-233 will be used in combination to accomplish this.
3. Since thorium is a fruitful material, fissile material can be made from it. Thermal breeder reactors utilising thorium will be employed in the third stage.
4. These reactors will generate uranium-233 from thorium so that it can be utilised as fuel for other reactors.
5. India will have a stable supply of nuclear fuel thanks to the third stage's usage of thorium.

The Three-Stage Nuclear Program's Challenges

1. India's nuclear power programme faces a primary obstacle in the scarcity of fissile material for transforming fertile thorium into fissile U-233, despite conducting laboratory testing on all program-related technologies.
2. Advancements in technology can significantly decrease difficulties in nuclear waste disposal, accident prevention, and maintenance post-programme, ensuring a smoother transition to nuclear energy.
3. The government might want assistance in acquiring property and selecting appropriate sites for nuclear-generating facilities.
4. Thorium's lack of experience and cautious nuclear business make it challenging to produce high-quality solid fuel at extremely high temperatures, increasing costs for handling and recycling spent fuel.

Conclusion

For a big nation like India, long-term energy security—mostly derived from domestic resources—is an essential and inescapable requirement, both strategically and economically. In addition to economic, technological, and political considerations, the sustainable development of energy resources takes into account global environmental, ecological, and social concerns. The optimal configuration of our energy mix will be determined by these elements at different times in the future.

FAQ

Who initiated the Nuclear programme in India?

The late H. J. Bhabha, well-known as India's father of nuclear power development, created the country's three-stage nuclear program.

Who is the father of the Indian Nuclear Programme?

The late H. J. Bhabha, well-known as India's father of nuclear power development, created the country's three-stage nuclear program.