India developing 200 MW nuclear reactors to power ships
New Delhi(PTI): India is developing 200 MW nuclear power reactors, compact in size that can be deployed on commercial ships.
"Nuclear power is generated by causing nuclear fission to create heat that leads to electricity production. You can put the reactor wherever you want, even on a ship," a senior official said here.
He said scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) are developing two nuclear power reactors of 55 MW and 200 MW that could be deployed at captive power plants used by energy-intensive companies such as cement manufacturers.
"These nuclear reactors are very safe and can even be used to power merchant navy ships," the official said, sidestepping questions of their use to power nuclear submarines.
He said these Bharat Small Modular Reactors (BSMR) will be the mainstay in the expansion of the share of nuclear power in India's energy mix.
Currently, India operates two home-built nuclear submarines -- INS Arihant and INS Arighaat -- which are powered by 83 MW reactors. A third nuclear-powered submarine, INS Aridhaman, is undergoing trials.
The government has also announced that it would amend the Atomic Energy Act (AEA), 1962, to allow the entry of private players in the civil nuclear sector.
According to the plans, the government may allow private players to operate nuclear power plants and also handle the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle.
As per the discussions on the amendments to the AEA, the government may also allow private companies to procure fuel from foreign countries for the nuclear power plants, with a provision to take back the spent fuel to the country of origin.
The amendments to the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLND) also seek to cap the liability of suppliers of nuclear equipment, as mentioned in the contract between the supplier and operator.
The amendments under discussion also seek to define 'supplier' as the provider of critical equipment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of achieving 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047, from the current 8.8 GW.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
