PARLIAMENT QUESTION: SMALL MODULAR REACTORS FOR CLEAN AND LOW-CARBON ENERGY

• SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors producing up to 300 MWe per module, factory-built and shipped for on-site assembly, with passive safety features and suitability for cogeneration/desalination/hydrogen.
• India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), via BARC and NPCIL, is designing indigenous SMRs (BSMR-200, SMR-55) under the Nuclear Energy Mission to decarbonise energy-intensive sectors, repurpose retiring thermal plants, and electrify off-grid areas.
• Aspirant relevance: intersects GS-III (energy, environment, S&T) and India's net-zero by 2070 commitment.