With Kudankulam unit 2 likely to become operational in this financial year, the government has allocated Rs 10,446 crore to the Department of Atomic Energy for power generation and research.
For power generation, Rs 1709 crore has been allocated to the department. This includes Rs 30 crore for India's first Prototype Bast Breeder reactor at Kalpakkam at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).
The government also intends to invest Rs 203 crore and Rs 440 crore in NPCIL and Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI), two PSUs under DAE.
Rs 8737 crore has been allocated for research in the field of nuclear energy. There are several research centres under the DAE, major being Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology and IGCAR and Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMDER).
The allocation also includes provisions for projects such as survey, prospecting, and exploration by AMDER and setting up a Centre for Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership in Haryana.
In last budget, the department had been allocated Rs 8,449 crore for Atomic Energy Research, but it was revised to Rs 6,969 crore.
For research in the field of Earth Science, Ocean activities and Meteorology, the Ministry of Earth Science has been alloted Rs 1699 crore.
In the field of Ocean Research, the government has alloted Rs 629 crore, Rs 661 for Meteorology and Rs 380 crore for other earth science related projects. This also includes ambitious projects like procuring new vessels for ocean research, studying seismological patterns and polar sciences.
