UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — PARLIAMENT QUESTION: PRODUCTION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY

Q1. The commercial operation of India's fleet of nuclear power reactors and the execution of the reactors presently under construction are undertaken by which one of the following?

  • A. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
  • B. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
  • C. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)
  • D. Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI)

Q2. The SHANTI Act, 2025 was enacted primarily to replace which one of the following as the bedrock statute governing atomic energy in India?

  • A. The Atomic Energy Act, 1962
  • B. The Atomic Energy Act, 1948
  • C. The Electricity Act, 2003
  • D. The Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules, 2004

Q3. Among the indigenous small reactor designs being developed by BARC under the Nuclear Energy Mission, which one has the largest per-unit electrical generating capacity?

  • A. Bharat Small Modular Reactor, BSMR-200
  • B. SMR-55
  • C. High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (up to 5 MWth)
  • D. Advanced Heavy Water Reactor demonstration unit

Q4. In the context of the Nuclear Energy Mission, the term 'Small Modular Reactor' (SMR) is best defined as which one of the following?

  • A. An advanced reactor of capacity generally up to about 300 MWe per unit, with factory-fabricated, transportable modular components
  • B. A reactor of 1,000 MWe or more built entirely on-site through international cooperation
  • C. A thorium-fuelled fast breeder reactor designed only for the third stage of the nuclear programme
  • D. A research reactor used exclusively for isotope production and having no grid-connected power output

Q5. With reference to the institutional history of India's atomic energy programme, which of the following are correctly stated?

  1. The Atomic Energy Act was first enacted in 1948.
  2. The Department of Atomic Energy was established in 1954.
  3. The Department of Atomic Energy functions directly under the Prime Minister.
  4. The Department of Atomic Energy was created only after the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 came into force.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q6. Under which section of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 does the operator's right of recourse against the supplier arise?

  • A. Section 17
  • B. Section 46
  • C. Section 6
  • D. Section 4

Q7. What is the total capacity (in rupees) of the India Nuclear Insurance Pool set up in 2015 to cover liability under the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010?

  • A. ₹1,500 crore
  • B. ₹1,000 crore
  • C. ₹3,000 crore
  • D. ₹2,610 crore

Q8. Under its Panchamrit commitments, India aims to install how much non-fossil-fuel electricity generation capacity by the year 2030?

  • A. 500 GW
  • B. 450 GW
  • C. 280 GW
  • D. 175 GW