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New Indian Express
an hour ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
India's global rise driven by internal transformation, scientific progress: PM Modi's Principal Secretary Mishra
NEW DELHI: Dr PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that India's rising geopolitical influence, strategic partnerships, global diaspora, and soft power are key factors which amplify its international presence. Addressing the graduating Scientific Officers today at the 68th Graduation Function in the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Training School, marking a milestone for the institution and the next generation of India's scientific community, Dr Mishra outlined India's advancements in every field. He remarked on the legacy of BARC and the vision of Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha, praising the institution for its training excellence and contributions to India's development. He highlighted India's global rise driven by internal transformation and shifting international dynamics, noting strengths such as youth demographics, infrastructure expansion, and technological achievements. Highlighting the Prime Minister's vision for Vikshit Bharat in 2047, he underscored the importance of 'reform, perform, and transform' in transforming the country into a developed nation. Dr Mishra cited multiple national achievements such as India's position as the third-largest startup ecosystem with over 100 unicorns. He also added that the scale of digital infrastructure, including UPI processing over 185 billion transactions in 2024–25 and bold climate commitments including 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and initiatives like the National Green Hydrogen Mission, have helped the country move forward. Noting the successful opening of the space sector, Mishra remarked that similar initiatives are envisaged for atomic energy, essential for clean energy and national security. He also highlighted key budget announcements from the Budget 2024–25 like R&D support for Bharat Small Modular Reactors and advanced nuclear technologies and a targeted expansion to 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047, with proposed amendments to relevant legislation enabling private sector participation.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Govt plans to open up the atomic energy sector like the space sector: P.K. Mishra
Measures similar to the successful opening up of the space sector are envisaged for the atomic energy sector as well, which is essential for clean energy and national security, said P. K. Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday. The government is planning to expand nuclear power capacity to 100 gigawatt (GW) by 2047, Mishra said while speaking at the 68th graduation functionin the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Training School in Mumbai. Mishra highlighted key announcements in the Union Budget 2024-25, including research and development support for Bharat small modular reactors, advanced nuclear technologies, and the planned nuclear power capacity addition with the proposed amendments to relevant legislation enabling private sector participation, an official statement said. Mishra was referring to the proposed amendments to the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, with the aim of attracting private sector investment in the nuclear power sector. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech in 2024, said nuclear energy is expected to form a significant part of Viksit Bharat's energy mix. The minister had said then that to pursue that goal, the government will partner with the private sector to set up small reactors, conduct research and development for Bharat small modular reactors, and develop newer nuclear energy technologies. The government's ₹ 1 trillion research fund announced in 2024 will finance these projects. Mishra emphasized that nuclear energy presents a major opportunity for sustainable growth and clean power in response to climate challenges. India has 8.7GW of nuclear power generation capacity now. Acknowledging the capital-intensive nature of nuclear energy projects, Mishra said timely completion, access to low-cost finance, and leveraging private sector capabilities are key to lowering tariffs and improving feasibility. He encouraged researchers to innovate in cost-reduction strategies to make nuclear energy India's preferred power source. Mishra underscored the importance of strengthening safety governance, citing the roles of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and the BARC Safety Council. He called for revisiting regulatory mechanisms and investing in further safety-related research, especially as private sector participation expands. He emphasized that public confidence in safety standards must be a top priority. Mishra referred to India's strengths, such as youth demographics, infrastructure expansion and technological achievements and highlighted the importance of the government's guiding principle—'reform, perform, and transform'—in transforming the country into a developed nation. He said India's position as the third-largest startup ecosystem with over 100 unicorns, the scale of digital infrastructure, including UPI processing over 185 billion transactions in 2024-25, bold climate commitments, including 500GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, and initiatives like the National Green Hydrogen Mission, are national achievements. Underscoring nuclear energy's societal impact, Mishra cited the use of radio isotopes in cancer care and radiation technologies in wastewater treatment and agriculture storage. Mishra urged the scientific community to commercialize spin-off technologies emerging from research labs.
Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
July 16, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Black Box Analysis
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the engineering department of Air India are all set to extract a read-out and a print-out of the cockpit voice recorder and the digital flight data recorder of the ill-fated Air India jumbo Kanishka that perished in the Atlantic off the Irish coast on June 23. The Sri Lankan President, J R Jayewardene, has offered to grant 'sufficient autonomy' to Tamil areas of the island to resolve the ethnic issue, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi said. The offer had come during the talks the Sri Lankan President had with the Prime Minister. Virtually ruling out support for a separate Eelam, the Prime Minister told a news conference at Raj Bhavan that 'we will not support anything more than what is available in India'. The overseas wing of the so-called Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) seems to be disintegrating and its former president, Amanullah Khan, is so frustrated with what he called 'integral politics' that he is now seriously thinking of setting up his headquarters in some Middle East country, possibly the UAE. After a fiery four-and-a-half-hour discussion over the 'Dharavi land scandal', the entire Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly walked out for the day in protest against the government's refusal to appoint a committee of House members to probe the 'deal'. Leader of the Opposition Sharad Pawar did not agree with Minister of State for Urban Development Ram Manohar Tripathi's offer to ask the chief secretary to investigate the land deal.
Indian Express
14-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
July 14, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Black boxes in India
The black boxes of the ill-fated 'Kanishka' Jumbo jet are likely to be taken to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) or the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for analysis. The box is in the safe custody of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Both the BARC and TIFR had sophisticated computers to decode the messages recorded in the cockpit voice and digital flight data recorder. Sri Lanka talks The dialogue between the Sri Lanka government and its minority Tamils battling for greater autonomy was kept alive as the first phase of their talks in the Bhutanese capital of Thimpu ended with an agreement to resume on August 12. The Sri Lankan government is expected to bring up fresh proposals on devolution of powers to meet the autonomy demand when the talks resume. No harsh measures Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made it clear that there was no question of imposing emergency now and he was in favour of settlement of all issues through negotiations . The PM pointed out that at no stage either at his press conference in Delhi or in the past had he said that he would impose an emergency. Union Carbide sued A total of 21,477 Indians were named in a new personal injury lawsuit, filed in a Federal court against the Union Carbide Corporation concerning the 1984 leak of a toxic gas in Bhopal. Melvin Belli, the first US lawyer to file a suit after the accident in India on December 3 that killed about 2,500 people and injured 200,000 represents nearly 25,000 Indians in two separate lawsuits. The suit asks $15 billion in damages to compensate the victims and to punish the company for negligence.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
New Garcinia species found in Assam, named after botanist's mother
GUWAHATI Assam has yielded a new-to-science tree species belonging to the genus Garcinia, commonly referred to as thoikora in Assamese. The newly described Garciniakusumae has been named in honour of Kusum Devi, the late mother of Jatindra Sarma, one of the authors of the study and the Chairman of Assam's State Expert Appraisal Committee appointed by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The study, co-authored by Hussain A. Barbhuiya of Mumbai's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, appears in the latest issue of Feddes Repertorium, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on botanical taxonomy and geobotany. Garcinia kusumae marks the fourth instance of Mr. Sarma naming a botanical discovery after a family member. Previous names include Amomum pratisthana (after his daughter), Syzygium nivae (wife), and Garcinia sibeswarii (father). This is the first time an Indian botanist-researcher has had four plant species named after immediate family members. 'The epithet kusumae… is in recognition of her enduring support and sacrifices for his [Mr. Sarma's] education,' the study noted. Garcinia, the largest genus in the family Clusiaceae, comprises 414 species of shrubs and trees. Pan-tropically distributed, its centres of diversity are found in Africa, Australasia, and Southeast Asia. The genus is known for its floral diversity, frequent presence in lowland tropical rainforests, and considerable pharmacological potential. In India, 33 species and seven varieties of Garcinia have been documented, with Assam accounting for 12 species and three varieties. Mr. Sarma found the thoikora specimen in Bamunbari, located in Baksa district, in April, during a survey of Garcinia species. The tree's distinct morphological features prompted further investigation. Specimens were collected following standard herbarium protocols, including pressing, drying, and preservation. A dioecious evergreen tree that can grow up to 18 metres tall, Garcinia kusumae was observed to flower from February to April, with fruit maturing between May and June. While the thoikora shares superficial similarities with Garcinia assamica, Garcinia cowa, and Garcinia succifolia, morphological analysis revealed distinguishing characteristics, including up to 15 staminate flowers per fascicle, fewer stamens per flower (except in Garcinia assamica), and berries with blackish resinous exudations. The fruit holds local cultural and medicinal value. According to the study, the sun-dried pulp is used to prepare a sherbet (soft drink) with salt and sugar, consumed during hot days to prevent heat stroke and alleviate thirst. It is also used in curries with fish and employed as a traditional remedy for diabetes and dysentery. The seed aril, slightly sour and sweet, is eaten raw, often with salt, chillies, and a dash of mustard oil.
