India to join ITER to boost nuclear fusion technology

Noor En Ahmed

New Delhi

Fri, 06 Jul 2007: 

July 06: India has decided to join International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project worth Rs. 2500 crore for osting its capabilities in nuclear fusion technology.

The project participation will be held in at Cadarache in southern France.

Union cabinet has approved this proposal in a top order meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and decided to set up an empowered board.

" India's joining ITER is recognition of its scientific and technical capability in fusion energy. Considering India's large energy needs in future, our gaining technological capability in fusion energy will be of considerable long term benefit", said Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi. “An empowering board is organized by the Governing Council of the Institute for Plasma Research for its effective implementation”, added Dasmunshi.

“This participation would be a leapfrog in terms of our national technological capability in fusion energy”, Dasmunshi told to the reporter. The foreign exchange component of the project, is calculated Rs. 1129 crore.

Cabinet has also decided to set up Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum technology in Rae Bareli and extended the term of Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) for seven months.