UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — A New Chapter in India's Nuclear Journey
Q1. India's three-stage nuclear power programme, based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle, is adopted and operationalised entirely by which one of the following?
- A. NITI Aayog
- B. Department of Atomic Energy
- C. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
- D. Ministry of Power
Q2. In the context of India's three-stage nuclear power programme, a 'breeder reactor' is best defined as a reactor which:
- A. Produces more fissile material than it consumes
- B. Uses only naturally occurring uranium without any reprocessing
- C. Employs heavy water both as coolant and moderator
- D. Generates electricity without producing any radioactive waste
Q3. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam was indigenously designed and developed by which one of the following organisations?
- A. Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI)
- B. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
- C. Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR)
- D. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)
Q4. Which one of the following is the public sector undertaking specifically incorporated to construct and operate fast breeder reactors in India?
- A. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
- B. Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI)
- C. Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR)
- D. Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL)
Q5. The Department of Atomic Energy, which operationalises the PFBR programme that attained first criticality in 2026, functions directly under which one of the following?
- A. Ministry of Science and Technology
- B. Ministry of Power
- C. The Prime Minister
- D. The Cabinet Secretary
Q6. Once its PFBR is fully operational, India will become which number country in the world to operate a commercial-scale fast breeder reactor?
- A. The first
- B. The second
- C. The third
- D. The fourth