Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

WHY IN NEWS?

The credentials of the official email accounts of at least 3,000 employees working in sensitive establishments including Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) have been hacked in various data breaches.

ABOUT BARC

• The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India's premier nuclear research facility, headquartered in Trombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• BARC is a multi-disciplinary research centre with extensive infrastructure for advanced research and development covering the entire spectrum of nuclear science, engineering and related areas.
• BARC's core mandate is to sustain peaceful applications of nuclear energy, primarily for power generation.
• It manages all facts of nuclear power generation, from theoretical design of reactors to, computerised modelling and simulation, risk analysis, development and testing of new reactor fuel materials, etc.
• It also conducts research in spent fuel processing, and safe disposal of nuclear waste.
• Its other research focus areas are applications for isotopes in industries, medicine, agriculture, etc.
• BARC operates a number of research reactors across the country.
• The BARC also conducts research in biotechnology at the Gamma Gardens, and has developed numerous disease resistant and high-yielding crop varieties, particularly groundnuts.
• It also conducts research in Liquid Metal Magnetohydrodynamics for power generation.
• BARC is the mother of the R&D institutions such as IGCAR, RRCAT, VECC, etc., which carry out pioneering research on nuclear and accelerator technologies and industrial establishments such as NPCIL, NFC, ECIL, etc., spearheading nuclear power production, materials technology, electronics & instrumentation.

Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha and BARC

• Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha conceived the Nuclear Program in India. Dr Bhabha established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for carrying out nuclear science research in 1945.
• To intensify the effort to exploit nuclear energy for the benefit of the nation, Dr Bhabha established the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) in January 1954 for multidisciplinary research program essential for the ambitious nuclear program of India.
• After the sad demise of Bhabha in 1966, AEET was renamed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

Prelims Question

Q. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) conducts research in which of the following area/areas?
1. Nuclear power
2. Biotechnology
3. Nuclear medicine
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 1 and 2 only
b. 1 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 1,2 and 3

Answer to the Prelims Question