PTI FEATURE
--------------------------------------------------
VOL. NO XXII(13)-2006 April 1, 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR
---------------
PF-51/2006
INDIA & THE US, THE NUCLEAR ISSUE
By K.S.Parthasarathy
The US-India dialogue for the recently initiated nuclear deal began in July 1994 with the visit of an American delegation led by former Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary and a former Commissioner of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), E. Gail de Planque. They held discussions with Indian officials on civilian nuclear power safety The officials of the two countries decided to open a nuclear safety dialogue between the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and NRC.
The dialogue started in September 1994. It was informal; the US officials emphasized the fact that they could base the interaction only on material from public sources; US laws forbid any formal interaction between US officials and those of any country which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The regulators discussed safety-related topics such as development of symptom-based emergency procedures, technical exchanges on design issues, fire safety in nuclear power plants, materials aging, and in-service inspections.
In October 1994, Chairman, AERB Dr.A.Gopalkrishnan along with a team of engineers visited NRC and various nuclear facilities in the US. He established excellent rapport with the officials of NRC at different levels. In February 1995, Dr.Ivan Selin, Chairman, NRC visited New Delhi and Mumbai.
While addressing a gathering of distinguished scientists and nuclear technologists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Dr Selin touched a raw nerve. While airing his views on the independence of AERB, he implied that AERB in its current form is not independent. To be truly independent, a country’s regulatory agency should report to another country’s government! Dr Chidambaram, the then Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission reacted with disarming alacrity.
The topic was controversial. Admittedly, many in India believed that AERB’s relationship with the Department of Atomic Energy was too close for comfort. But nobody could deny that AERB had emerged as a technically strong and effective agency. Some felt that in matters of regulation, evolution is better than revolution. Others felt that the evolution in this case is too slow! NRC itself has its own image problems. Some call it the lap dog of the US Department of Energy!
In March 1998, Dr.P.Rama Rao, the then Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board visited the Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant. During the same month, Vice Chairman, AERB, Shri S. V. Kumar joined Dr Rao and visited NRC headquarters. They held discussions with NRC officials on developing and implementing the three NRC-AERB nuclear safety projects.
Basically they are exchanges in (1) back-fits and design modifications to existing nuclear power plants (2) historical information on previous fire hazards and the use of good fire protection engineering practices to develop operational improvements and to enhance fire safety; and (3) symptom-based emergency procedures.
The visit of Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, Chairman of the NRC in April 1998 was one of the most memorable events. She addressed “Fire Safety 1998”, a conference on fire-safety related topics at Trombay on April 15, 1998. She remembered her visit to the Gandhi Memorial in New Delhi and acknowledged how the US civil rights movement—and in particular, the convictions and principles of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.—benefited from the wisdom and example of non violence as a force for positive political and social change, as embodied in the life of Mahatma Gandhi..
She summarized the history of fire protection in nuclear power plants, the associated regulatory frame work and the NRC deliberations for possible improvement “…nuclear safety issues in one country can have a direct impact on how similar issues are viewed and treated in the nuclear power industry around the globe”, she asserted.
NRC-AERB interactions stopped abruptly in May 1998 when India conducted the nuclear tests. The dialogue restarted in February 2003 when Mr. Richard A. Meserve, Chairman, US NRC accompanied by a 15 member team visited AERB on invitation from Dr.S.P.Sukhtame, Chairman, AERB.
On February 26, 2003 Dr. Meserve, delivered a lecture titled “Advancing nuclear safety through international cooperation” at BARC; he described the key attributes to regulatory effectiveness and how NRC faces the challenges and achieves these attributes.
Shri S.K Sharma, the then Vice Chairman, AERB accompanied by a team of six Indian specialists visited USNRC from September 8 to 17, 2003. A team of NRC specialists led by Mr.Ashok Thadani, Director, Nuclear Regulatory Research Department visited AERB during Februry 23-25, 2004. A six-person delegation led by Shri S.K.Chande visited NRC from August 30 to September 3, 2004.
There were six meetings between the experts from the two countries. During the fifth meeting held during February 7-11, 2005 a five member NRC delegation led by Commissioner Jeffrey S. Merrifield visited AERB. The seventh meeting started on March 27, this year and will conclude on April 4.
NRC oversees the regulation of 103 nuclear power reactors. They have established procedures for licensing renewal and certification of new reactor designs; arrived at updates on fire risks. They have rich experience on areas of nuclear safety.
AERB faces similar challenges and issues. Currently, AERB’s regulatory responsibility extends to boiling water reactors, pressurized heavy water reactors of old and new designs, water moderated water cooled reactors (VVERs at Koodankulam), prototype fast breeder reactors and advanced heavy water reactors. AERB has been monitoring the implementation of safety up-gradation of reactors built to earlier standards. Several power reactors are in the construction phase in India.
Specialists on both sides could exchange nuclear safety-related information. Their visits and the range and depth of their discussions cemented the ties further.
Dr.K.S.Parthasarathy is formerly Secretary of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Dr. A.S.Rao:the father of Indian etectronics industry
PTI FEATURE PEOPLE/ PF-171/2006
VOL No XXII(43)-2006 October 28, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. A. S. Rao: the father of Indian electronics industry
By K.S.Parthasarathy
“If, with all the science and technology at our command and all the bright minds that this country can boast of, we are not in a position to provide a full meal a day for the hundreds of millions of people in this country, supply clothing of any kind to cover themselves with decency or offer shelter to live in dignity, we, the scientists and engineers forming the intellectual core of the society have as much blame to share”.
In 1990, Dr A.S.Rao, who is known as the father of electronics industry in
Dr.Ayyagiri Sambasiva Rao was born on
After his B.Sc, he went to Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to pursue his M. Sc. studies “neither for money nor for a better job but for the sheer excitement and satisfaction of getting university education”
Short of funds, he returned to Rajamundri to attend a B.Ed degree course. Later, he managed to get a scholarship at BHU. He applied for admission to
He could depart only after a delay of 9 months as he had difficulty to get a berth due to war. He could join the university only during the second quarter. By then, the war was over. Government offered priority to veterans for admission and financial aid.
Prof. Skilling could not give him the promised funds. Based on a good report on his progress from the Professor, Tata Endowment granted another Rs.4000/-.Rao got the ‘Degree of Engineer’ from the
On his return from
Rao, Raja Ramanna, Singhvi and N B Prasad under the able guidance of Dr Bhabha designed and constructed APSARA, a swimming pool reactor at Trombay on
Later, the Electronics Division of the Atomic Energy Establishment Trombay completed the installation and commissioning of control systems for CIRUS and Zerlina reactors under his guidance.
They designed and fabricated radiation monitors, computers, TV receivers, ultrasonic flaw detectors, various electronic circuits and components, semiconductors, ceramics, carbon and metal film detectors etc.
In 1963, in the aftermath of the Chinese war, Government set up a national committee on electronics with Dr Bhabha as its Chairman and Drs A S Rao, Vikram Sarabhai,
Bhabha Committee report, for which Dr Rao was the Chief Draughtsman, became a blue print for the development of electronics in
In 1967, the Government set up the Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL) to convert R & D products into production. Under Dr Rao’s leadership, ECIL grew from strength to strength. Dr.Rao and his team never looked back. The Nation honoured him with Padma Bhushan.
In a commemorative volume published by ECIL on
They called him one of the pioneers who laid the foundation of Indian nuclear programme, the architect of Bhabha committee report, a man of quiet charm and dignity, an extraordinary individual who could never be ruffled and angered, a dedicated and brilliant scientist, honest to the core and above all a humanist, a man of utter simplicity, an outstanding example of plain living and high thinking,
A close associate recalls that while on the Board of Directors of KELTRON, he preferred to travel by train to
Another colleague reveals that he was a real communist at heart; Dr Rao did not believe in God. Dr Rao knew the dignity of labour; an associate recollects that he won a dish washing competition, when he was in
His hallmark dress; white pant, white shirt, red tie and cream colour jacket left an indelible impression on every one. Though he became a total recluse after retirement, many of his associates ran to him for guidance ignoring the “No Visitors” board at his residence. They always found a friend, philosopher and guide in him.
PTI Feature
[Dr. K.S. Parthasarathy is former Secretary, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Mumbai]
Friday, April 13, 2007
Atomic Energy Budget for 2007-2008
PTI FEATURE
SCIENCE BUDGET
PF-43/2007
VOL NO XXIII(11)-2007 DATED
Atomic Energy Budget For 2007-2008
-By Dr K.S. Parthasarathy
The Union Budget presented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram contained notable hikes in the funds allocated to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). The Finance Minister has set apart Rs 3796.85 crore for the DAE for 2007-08 as against Rs 3173.22 crore last year.
DAE plans to complete an impressive array of projects which include the participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the international projects at European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, setting up of National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at Bhubaneswar , execution of a few projects by the Board for Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT) and continuation of the development of fast reactor technology at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research among others.
On
The Institute of Plasma Research (IPR) located at Gandhinagar, the Indian Agency contributing to the project has been carrying out research in basic and applied plasma physics. IPR receives Rs 201.64 crore for 2007-08. This is a significant increase compared to Rs 91.06 crore allotted for the previous year. Of the amount allotted, about Rs 101crore will be for ITER; last year’s revised estimate for ITER was Rs 40 crore.
Fusion technology is complex. When scientists bring together the nuclei of heavy isotopes of hydrogen, they fly apart! To get them behave, we have to heat them to 100 million degrees; then they fuse and produce large amounts of energy. Specialists claim that one kg of fusion fuel would produce the same energy as 10 million kg of fossil fuels (Reuters,
We have to operate at least one experimental reactor to see whether it will be useful as a source of energy. Specialists will construct ITER in ten years. The reactor will produce a fusion power of 500 MW for a burn length of 400 seconds.
The National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at
“I am confident that the NISER will become a Mecca for science just as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Indian Institute of Science are today”, Prime Minister declared on August 28,2006 while announcing the setting up of NISER. The budget for 2007-08 has provided Rs 20 crore for NISER.
For 2007-08, the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) receives an allocation of Rs 289.20 crore as against the last year’s revised estimate of about Rs 258 crore
The mood is upbeat in IGCAR and rightly, its website flashes the message “Fast reactors for energy security”.
Apart from augmenting the different facilities, the Centre will intensify the ongoing R&D programmes on Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) and fuel reprocessing materials. The Centre will carry out engineering experiments to qualify component designs and to generate data for validating computer codes, based on scale model/full scale models in sodium and water and validation of innovative design features of future fast breeder reactors.
IGCAR will provide R&D support to develop fabrication routes for mixed oxide as well as metallic fuels for fast reactors; work on metallic fuel will be continued, with appropriate augmentation in the facilities.
The Centre plans to replace the aged mechanical, electrical and Instrumentation& Control (I&C) systems of Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), the flagship of the centre, which attained criticality in 1985. This will help to operate the reactor for 20 more years.
IGCAR will augment existing capabilities with new techniques/ facilities in the areas of irradiation experiments, post irradiation examination, non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and in-service inspection techniques, remote handling, automation and robotics.
Other fields of interest are nanotechnology with a focus in the area of gas sensors, micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) and hard coatings. IGCAR may develop an array of chemical sensors based on nanomaterials and nanotechnology to detect and monitor simultaneously a group of gases in the fast reactor and reprocessing plant environments.
From the allocation of Rs 71.32 crore, BRIT set apart Rs 21.84 crore for 2007-08. The Board will procure, install and commission a 30 Mev medical cyclotron at Kolkata at a cost of 14.78 crore. It will also commission an integrated facility for radiation technology costing Rs 4.91 crore at its Vashi complex to fabricate and handle cobalt-60 sources of high activity
The Board will augment the existing radioisotope production facilities to meet the demand, to ensure enhanced safety of the products and to promote the application of radioisotopes for the benefit of society. It has plans to develop remotely operated, indigenous, High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy equipment. Establishing the complete process and facilities to fabricate and supply iridium-192 HDR sources will help in saving foreign exchange and will give a shot in the arm of radiotherapy centres nation wide.
BRIT will start a new automated facility to produce Mo 99 - Tc 99 m column generators, the workhorses in nuclear medicine.
The Budget indicated increases in the allocation for Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, and
On
He said that we should strive to reach the target of 2% in the 11th plan. The increased allocation to DAE is hopefully the harbinger for greater governmental support to S&T.
Dr K.S.Parthasarathy is former Secretary AER Board
PTI FEATURE
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Dr Raja Ramanna : Some reminiscences
NUCLEAR
Dr. Raja Ramanna: Some Reminiscences
Dr. K.S. Parthasarathy
Former Secretary, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
While paying tribute to Dr.Homi Bhabha, Mr J.R.D.Tata observed: “I believe that the greatest contribution Homi made to India’s development in to the modern state it is fast becoming, lies in training and bringing out to their full capability a host of young scientists and administrators who, today, lead so many of India’s scientific and technical establishments”.
Among the young scientists handpicked by Dr Bhabha, Dr Ramanna stands out as a shining example. One of his earliest responsibilities was to organise the training programme at the Atomic Energy Establishment Trombay (AEET). Dr Ramanna proposed that the school may be called the Atomic Energy Establishment Trombay Training School (AEET TS).
Dr. K.K.Damodaran, former Head of Training Division, who assisted Dr Ramanna in nurturing the training programme, remembered that one of the mandates of the school was to take steps to attract young, bright and talented students from the universities. During training, they acquired the needed skills and knowledge in nuclear science and technology. The curriculum was need-based and dynamic so that the trainees would be well prepared when the technology gets upgraded .After the successful training; they obtained secure but challenging jobs. Their rigorous training prepared them adequately to accept effortlessly the challenges of any future technology.
Dr. Bhabha and Dr. Ramanna knew that since nuclear technology is a strategic technology, free flow of knowledge and materials will not be forthcoming. They were conscious of the long-term need for self-reliance.
According to Dr.P. K. Iyengar, former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and long-term associate of Dr. Ramanna, Dr. Ramanna used to say that the selection of trainees is essentially a “statistical operation”. Dr Ramanna believed that in a developing country like
Dr Ramanna’s characteristic humility forbade him from waxing eloquent on this notably successful human resource development programme. In his autography “Years of Pilgrimage”, Dr.Ramanna spared eight sentences to describe some of its features.
Dr Bhabha and Dr. Ramanna realized that the universities had become rather ineffectual in imparting useful science education. They did not want to deplete the universities of the few good teachers by recruiting them directly. They started the training school in August 1957 by recruiting 143 trainees; forty nine in the engineering stream and 104 in the science stream.
Dr.P.S. Nagarajan, who belonged to the first batch vividly remembers their first encounter with Dr Ramanna. The Administrative Officer asked the trainees to assemble near the dining hall within two days of their arrival. Dr Ramannna was scheduled to address them.
Nobody noticed when a young officer came, stood near the small table nearly reclining against it and started talking. Nothing was audible as there was too much noise. One of the trainees approached the officer and told him that they were waiting for Dr. Ramanna. “I am Dr Ramanna”, the young speaker revealed. Nobody could believe that the person who looked like a college boy was indeed Dr Ramanna.
Dr Ramanna chaired the training school co-ordination committee from the very beginning. Dr K.K.Damodaran was its Member- Secretary. Drs A.S.Rao and Jagdish Shankar and other eminent scientists were members of the Committee. The Member Secretary enjoyed the powers of the Head of a Division to carry out the daily administration of the school.
Shri S.K.Mehta, former Director, Reactor group, BARC remembers that for the first training course, DAE explored various options. They decided that for mechanical engineers, there should be greater emphasis on power plant engineering.
The Institute of Science, Bangalore, was then offering an MS course (of two year duration) in power plant engineering; the Institute agreed to offer a specially organised course (though heavily loaded) for about six months in power plant engineering along with basic nuclear engineering courses.
DAE sent two batches of mechanical engineers to
In Mumbai, the DAE faculty further trained the batch which attended theshort course with emphasis on Nuclear Science and Technology.
Initially, DAE assigned the chemical and electrical engineers to various units/ sections /groups of the department; later they underwent training in Nuclear Science and Technology as for the mechanical engineering batch.
Senior Scientists and Engineers interacted with the trainees throughout the course both technically and socially. Dr Bhabha, Dr. Sethna and Dr Ramanna took very keen interest. They developed strong bonds; and this turned out to be a great incentive for the trainees to perform their duties well as they joined various units of DAE.
Dr Nagarajan remembers that the science stream remained at the headquarters. It consisted of graduates and postgraduates. The postgraduates felt that they knew every topic. They used to pompously ask questions to the lecturers. Are you an MSc or BSc? One of the lecturers used to ask before answering. (He was an eminent professor from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; he felt that the postgraduates are asking questions for the sake of asking!).
He explained the points well if the questioner was a B.Sc. Trainees used to approach Dr Ramanna whenever they faced any difficulty in the training school. He gladly offered guidance and advice He used to tell them that knowing the subject is different from understanding it. The apparently existed B.Sc-M.Sc conflict was really artificial. When the final result came, the first six ranks in the physics stream went to B.Scs!
By the time the second batch of trainees joined in August 1958, a well organized programme was in place. Thereafter all trainees received training in Mumbai itself.
I belonged to the seventh batch. Many who came from villages and small towns would like to forget the first few days in Bandra where the hostel was located. Most trainees were homesick. Travelling by suburban train to reach
Most of us were used to one or two examinations over the year, not weekly examinations , take home assignments, periodic viva voce, tutorials and lectures at such a rapid rate; life was too busy.
During the first week, we had one of the most memorable and comforting experiences. Dr Raja Ramanna visited us. He wore his hallmark khaki pant and white shirt. He was a very simple person. We could approach him any time. Very often, he came to the hostel. As the then Director, Physics Group, the training school was his turf; He took special interest in the welfare of students.
In our formative years, few had occasion to interact with Dr Bhabha closely. Dr.Ramanna was different. He was our mentor.
At the informal meetings, he listened to us carefully and spoke quietly. He spiced his talk with funny anecdotes. Each one of us felt that he was talking to us individually. His reassuring demeanor gave us confidence.
“Dr Ramanna was truly great, he was totally devoted to science”,…..”he gave me free hand”, Dr Damodaran who was intimately associated with the training school from 1957 to 1981 gratefully acknowledges. He remembers that Dr Ramanna used to visit the training school and the students hostel once in two weeks. Dr Ramanna’s abiding interest in the training programme was a source of inspiration to all.
It is interesting to speculate why Dr. Ramanna ensured that the trainees received well-organised training before they formally joined the AEET as staff. He showed a greater degree of understanding and compassion to the trainees’ problems than others. His autobiography is very revealing in this context.
He arrived at
After reaching
Dr Ramanna used the fine art of flattery to good humour Champion. He claimed that it was easy for him as he was brought up in the
Shortly, he met the new head of the department of physics, Dr Alan Nunn May who had worked in
Dr May initiated Dr Ramanna in to the field of experimental nuclear physics. Ramanna’s delight was short-lived. With in a few days, Police arrested Dr May for leaking atomic secrets to the Russians. Dr Ramanna went back to Dr Champion. By then he had developed enough confidence. He worked in the basement and subbasement rooms next to the King’s College hospital mortuary; all the time suffering from the smell of formaldehyde. “Occasionally on the days when we felt frustrated we toyed with the idea of disposing of our professor and supervisor through this route” he confessed!
No wonder that Dr Ramanna was compassionate and empathised with the trainees and always lent his ear to their problems.
Dr Ramanna initiated and nurtured a human resource development programme at such a large scale. Till 2003, the training school provided 7244 trainee officers to various Units of the Department of Atomic Energy. It was unique in
The training programme helped to harmonize the standards of students from different universities. Trainees in various streams had to study some subjects which might not initially be to their liking. For instance, those in the engineering stream had to study health physics. The trainees in the science stream had to study reactor theory. The truly multidisciplinary programme prepared the trainees to face the challenges in their career.
Dr Ramanna used to personally participate at various stages of the training programme. He kept a spreadsheet containing the complete details including the performance of the trainees before him in the final allotment interview. In a few cases, if he felt that the performance in some subject was not up to expectation he would ask the trainee the reason for the shortfall.
Dr Ramanna constantly reminded the trainees about their future roles in the Department. When occasion demanded the smiling teacher transformed into a steely, taciturn and stubborn disciplinarian.
As a person who spurned the charm of greener pastures and responded to the call of Dr. Bhabha to come to
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)