NICSTAR-2023: Kerala Governor Inaugurates International Conference on Radiation Technologies

Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan inaugurated the 'International Conference on Radiation Technologies- Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development' on Monday at the Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre in Kochi, Kerala.

The four-day conference is being organised by the National Association for the Application of Radioisotopes and Radiation in Industry (NAARRI) in collaboration with India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. "From the festival of 75 years of independence, we march towards a long season of holistic development which will culminate in the centenary of our independence in 2047.

"What distinguishes our forward march is our increased reliance and unwavering faith in the application of scientific knowledge and technology in our developmental endeavours," Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said. "The challenge before the scientific community, society and government are to strike a balance by finding proper solutions to optimise the use of resources and increase productivity. "It is in this context that radiation technology can be used to optimise the use of material and energy, as well as to improve productivity, in order to promote sustainable development," Khan added.

"Today, the use of isotopes has spread to areas such as energy production, industrial diagnostic methods, archaeology, geology, ecology, and astronomical sciences. Isotopes are used in diagnosing diseases, treating diseases, and destroying diseased cells, in addition to resource management and food preservation. Their applications include implantable pacemakers, weather and tsunami warning stations, navigation signal stations, carbon dating of fossils, food preservation, and, most importantly, national security. The use of radioisotopes in medicine has revolutionised the treatment of various types of cancer and other diseases," Khan added.

According to Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), a country's development agenda is a national imperative that must be pursued relentlessly for the socioeconomic development of its people. Radiation technology and isotopes contribute to long-term development in a variety of fields.

"DAE's power reactors generate environmentally friendly green energy. BARC research reactors such as Druva and Apsara-U generate radioisotopes for long-term solutions in health care, agriculture, food preservation, research, and industry, according to Mohanty. "Sustainable development is even more important in that it does not jeopardise research and development and does not degrade or deplete the environment beyond replacement," Mohanty added.

SA Bhardwaj, former Chairman of, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board said, "the unbelievable science of sub-atomic particles form the basis of many modern technologies including fission, fusion, photoelectric effects used in photovoltaic cells, medical devices and therapy, LED Lights, sanitisation of medical devices, food radiation processing, for waste treatment and much more".

"Nuclear technology for power production and a large bouquet of non-power technologies by the use of radioisotopes and radiations secreted by specialised equipment hold the promise of sustainable development, causing practically no harm to the environment or biodiversity. These technologies not only protect the environment, but they also improve it," Bhardwaj added.

"NAARRI, which was founded in 1976, has been instrumental in promoting several atomic energy programmes, including radiation technology programmes for the benefit of society," said PJ Chandy, Secretary of NAARRI. The four-day conference would include 43 invited talks and 107 presentations covering a wide range of non-power applications of atomic energy. "Women scientists who played critical roles in the development of nuclear technology" make up 20% of the invited speakers.

Radiation sterilisation, Food irradiation, nuclear medicine, Radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy, NDT and industrial imaging, Radiotracer, Radiation processing for grafting and curing, Isotope hydrology for water resource management, and Radiation technology equipment are among the scientific sessions at the conference. There will also be important sessions on radiation safety, human resources, education, and public awareness. Another highlight of the event is the international exhibition on advanced radiation technologies.