New Delhi/Kalpakkam, June 6 (IANS). Foreign Secretary and Atomic Energy Commission member Vikram Misri visited Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (BHAVINI), Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras on World Environment Day (June 5). External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal gave this information on Twitter on Saturday.
Talked to scientists and officials in Bhavini. Here, Misri learned about the progress of India’s state-of-the-art 500 MW capacity Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Foreign Secretary also planted a Bakul (Maulshree) sapling in the Bhavini campus.
Misri also participated as the chief guest in the degree distribution ceremony for international students at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT) on 5 June 2026. At the ceremony, students from different countries were honored for their academic achievements.
In his address, Vikram Misri congratulated all the graduating students and wished them all the best for the future. He said, “Today the world is going through a phase of rapid technological change and in such times the role of youth becomes very important.”
He urged the students to use the knowledge, skills and experience acquired at IIT Madras to address the challenges facing humanity and contribute to the development of countries in the Global South.
This year, on the night of 6 April 2026, a major and historic achievement was recorded for India’s nuclear energy program. The prototype fast breeder reactor with 500 MW electric capacity had successfully achieved first criticality. This is the stage when controlled nuclear fission begins in the reactor.
This achievement was considered an important step towards India’s long-term energy security. The technology and design of this reactor has been completely developed in India. It has been prepared by the Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Centre, which is a major research and development center of the Department of Atomic Energy. The responsibility of its construction and operation was given to Bhavini, which is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Department of Atomic Energy.
Fast breeder reactors are an important part of India’s long-term nuclear energy strategy. Unlike conventional thermal reactors, these use uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. This technology not only makes energy production more efficient, but also increases fuel utilization efficiency, which will enable better use of energy resources in the future.
–IANS
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