On the Nuclear front ....

The Fast Breeder Program is coming along fine it seems (there had been doubts that India wouldn't go ahead with it because of the Civil Nuclear Cooperation deal with the U.S.). It's 1st prototype has been unvieled & the word from the GOI (according to NDTV.com) is this ....

Friday, April 28, 2006 (Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu): India's fast breeder nuclear reactor promises energy self-reliance and make the nation a nuclear superpower.

NDTV has found that the secretly developed technology would give the capability to sell nuclear fuel to the world.

The prototype unveiled for the first time includes a family of super efficient machines that convert reserves of thorium to nuclear energy.

"India has abundant amount of thorium. We have to have a plan where uranium can be used very effectively and then we can switch on to thorium," said Project Director Prabhat Kumar.

"We can provide the required energy to our people for the next 300-500 years," he added.

The fast breeder has a doubling time of 8 to 10 years. It means if it starts with 10 tones of Plutonium, in the next eight years it will generate another 10 tons of plutonium to start off another reactor - that is why it is called a fast breeder.

In 2009 when the reactor starts running, India would have launched itself into a new era of strategic and energy security.

Hmmm .... must say this is quite interesting .... & unexpected.