UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — PARLIAMENT QUESTION: ENHANCING NUCLEAR ENERGY GENERATION

Q1. Which one of the following is the nodal department responsible for administering the SHANTI Act, 2025 and India's civil nuclear power programme?

  • A. The Ministry of Power, Government of India
  • B. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India
  • C. The Department of Atomic Energy, functioning directly under the Prime Minister
  • D. The Central Electricity Authority under the Ministry of Power

Q2. In the context of the SHANTI Act, 2025, what does 'according statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)' signify?

  • A. The AERB is merged with the Atomic Energy Commission to form a single apex body overseeing all atomic activity in the country.
  • B. The AERB, earlier constituted through an executive government order, is now established under the parent statute itself, reinforcing its regulatory independence.
  • C. The AERB is empowered to generate and commercially sell nuclear electricity alongside NPCIL and private licensees.
  • D. The AERB is authorised to grant licences to private firms for uranium enrichment beyond the prescribed threshold values.

Q3. Under the Nuclear Energy Mission, the Bharat Small Modular Reactor (Bharat SMR) is being jointly designed and developed by which of the following?

  • A. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and NPCIL, both units of the Department of Atomic Energy
  • B. The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and BHAVINI, executing the fast breeder programme
  • C. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board along with the Central Electricity Authority
  • D. NTPC Limited and the Nuclear Fuel Complex under the Ministry of Power

Q4. With reference to the Nuclear Energy Mission, consider the following statements: 1. It was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore for research and development of Small Modular Reactors. 2. It targets at least five indigenously designed and operational Small Modular Reactors by 2033. 3. Its Small Modular Reactors are conventional reactors, each exceeding 1,000 MW in capacity and built on-site. 4. It is being implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore for research and development of Small Modular Reactors.
  2. It targets at least five indigenously designed and operational Small Modular Reactors by 2033.
  3. Its Small Modular Reactors are conventional reactors, each exceeding 1,000 MW in capacity and built on-site.
  4. It is being implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q5. India's present nuclear figure of about 8.78 GW, cited against the 100 GW-by-2047 target, refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The total electricity actually generated by nuclear power plants in a year
  • B. The combined capacity of all reactors that are operating, under construction and in the pre-project stage
  • C. The uranium fuel-processing capacity of India's nuclear fuel-cycle facilities
  • D. The total installed electricity-generation capacity of nuclear power reactors currently in operation

Q6. In the roadmap towards 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047, which entity is the principal public-sector agency currently tasked with nuclear power generation?

  • A. BHAVINI, the public sector company set up specifically for fast breeder reactors
  • B. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), a public sector undertaking of the Department of Atomic Energy
  • C. NTPC Limited, the thermal power producer under the Ministry of Power
  • D. Uranium Corporation of India Limited, responsible for uranium mining and milling

Q7. Which one of the following correctly describes the authority and framework under which India's newly commissioned nuclear power reactors are built and operated?

  • A. They are built and operated by NPCIL under the Ministry of Power, with safety clearance from the Central Electricity Authority.
  • B. They are built by private companies licensed under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, even prior to the SHANTI Act, 2025.
  • C. They are built and operated by NPCIL, a PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy, with safety authorisation from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
  • D. They are built by BHAVINI under the DAE, which is the sole agency for all nuclear electricity generation in India.

Q8. As per the Department of Atomic Energy's 2026 Parliament reply, how many nuclear power reactors were commissioned in India over the preceding decade, and what was their combined capacity?

  • A. 4 reactors totalling 3,100 MW
  • B. 9 reactors totalling 7,500 MW
  • C. 24 reactors totalling 8,180 MW
  • D. 7 reactors totalling 5,300 MW

Q9. In India's three-stage nuclear power programme, the second stage envisages which one of the following?

  • A. Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors using natural uranium as fuel
  • B. Fast Breeder Reactors fuelled by plutonium that breed additional fissile material, including uranium-233 from thorium
  • C. Thorium-based reactors using uranium-233 as the primary fuel
  • D. Fast Breeder Reactors fuelled by enriched uranium-235 imported from abroad

Q10. Which one of the following is the apex body responsible for formulating atomic energy policy in India?

  • A. The Atomic Energy Commission, constituted in 1948
  • B. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, the nuclear safety regulator
  • C. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, the nuclear electricity producer
  • D. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the premier nuclear research institution

Q11. Which one of the following correctly states the location of a major Indian nuclear power station operated by NPCIL?

  • A. The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is located in Kerala.
  • B. The Tarapur Atomic Power Station is located in Gujarat.
  • C. The Rawatbhata (RAPS) station is located in Madhya Pradesh.
  • D. The Kaiga Generating Station is located in Karnataka.

Q12. With reference to Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) compared with conventional large nuclear reactors, consider the following statements: 1. SMRs generally have a power capacity of up to about 300 MWe, smaller than conventional large reactors. 2. Unlike conventional reactors built on-site, SMRs are designed to be factory-built and transported, requiring a smaller footprint. 3. Being larger and site-assembled, SMRs require longer construction times than conventional reactors. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. SMRs generally have a power capacity of up to about 300 MWe, smaller than conventional large reactors.
  2. Unlike conventional reactors built on-site, SMRs are designed to be factory-built and transported, requiring a smaller footprint.
  3. Being larger and site-assembled, SMRs require longer construction times than conventional reactors.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3