India Approves Installation of 10 New Nuclear Reactors, Says Dr Jitendra Singh

"The Government has roped in PSUs for the installation of nuclear reactors, or the exercise would be done exclusively by specialized government agencies," the minister said in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha.

He also stated that the Center has given administrative approval and financial sanction for a fleet of ten indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors. The ten reactors will be built in the states of Karnataka, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Kaiga, Chutka, and Gorakhpur nuclear power plants will each receive two nuclear reactors, while the Mahi Banswara nuclear power plant in Rajasthan will receive four nuclear reactors.

"In 2015, the government amended the Atomic Energy Act to allow NPCIL Joint Ventures with Public Sector Enterprises to establish nuclear power projects. These reactors are expected to be operational in 'fleet mode' by 2031 at Rs. 1,05,000 crores "In a statement, the Department of Atomic Energy stated.

The minister also stated that during 2021-22, nuclear power reactors generated 47,112 million units of electricity, accounting for approximately 3.15 per cent of the total electricity generated in the country.

"The current installed nuclear power capacity is expected to increase from 6780 MW to 22480 MW by 2031, based on the progressive completion of projects currently under construction and sanctioned. The government has also given 'in-principle approval for new nuclear reactor sites in the future "In his written response, Dr Jitendra Singh stated.

Concerning India's space missions, he stated that the American space agency Nasa and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have collaborated on the development of NISAR, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar. It should be noted that the spacecraft arrived in India last month for integration and final testing before launching from Sriharikota next year.