Discuss the challenges present in India’s contribution to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project. (200 Words)
Refer - Financial Express
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 4 years
KEY POINTS
· India is helping ‘Make the Sun on Earth’ at the ITER Fusion Energy Reactor, but being penny-wise and pound-foolish may hurt the country in the long run.
· It is being built in southern France and is named ‘The Way’, otherwise technically called the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
Challenges
· The trouble is on many fronts, including India’s financial commitments to the allocation of human resources by India at the French construction site. In addition, for some unknown reasons at the recent high profile global virtual event, India deputed a rather junior person to represent the country in comparison to heads of states by other nations. Let’s examine some of these challenges in greater detail.
· To make the ITER reactor, India is contributing two kinds of resources, the first is ‘in-kind’ material that is manufactured by the Indian industry and supplied for the making of the reactor. This is a major contribution, and till date, India has not erred on this part. Most recently, the largest components of the ITER reactor, the Cryostat (the giant vacuum vessel), has been supplied by India. It was made in Gujarat by L&T and shipped to France; it weighs over 3,800 tonnes.
· The other is the ‘in-cash’ contribution, it is here that India has majorly defaulted. Bernard Bigot, the director general of ITER, says, “Since 2017, India has not fulfilled its in-cash contribution”; as a consequence, other member states were ‘very unhappy’ with India. The outstanding amount is now to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore.
· The other more worrying problem in India’s involvement with ITER is the dismal allocation of human resources by India at the ITER site. As per the agreement, each participating country can provide up to 10% of staff. So, as per the quota, India can send about 100 of its engineers and scientists to work as staff at ITER.
· According to ITER records, only 25 Indians are currently working there. To have full staff strength is important, as the young Indian engineers can learn the complexities of this million piece jigsaw puzzle that is being put together. While India will no doubt have full access to drawings and blueprints, but Indians who have worked on the site say the best learning comes by dirtying one’s own hands.
· India’s bureaucracy needs to make an exception, and the ‘one size fits all’ regulation needs to go if India is to really learn the art and science of making the ITER machine.
· There is a peculiar Indian provision that only personnel who are staff of the department of atomic energy can be deputed to ITER. While the atomic energy establishment in India has a whopping strength of over 75,000, experts say most Indian engineers lack soft skills, and so do not pass the muster.
A.R 4 years
Kindly review
IAS Parliament 4 years
Good attempt. Keep Writing.
K. V. A 4 years
Pls review
IAS Parliament 4 years
Good attempt. Keep Writing.
