UPSC Prelims 2016·GS1·science-and-technology·nuclear technology

India is an important member of the 'International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor'. If this experiment succeeds, what is the immediate advantage for India?

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. AIt can use thorium in place of uranium for power generation
  2. BIt can attain a global role in satellite navigation
  3. CIt can drastically improve the efficiency of its fission reactors in power generation
  4. DIt can build fusion reactors for power generationCorrect

Explanation

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is a large-scale scientific experiment designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale, carbon-free source of energy. Fusion is the process that powers the sun and stars. If the ITER experiment succeeds in demonstrating sustainable fusion reactions, the immediate and most significant advantage for India, as a member, would be the ability to develop and build its own commercial fusion reactors for power generation. This would offer a new, potentially cleaner and abundant energy source, addressing India's growing energy demands. Options A, B, and C are not the direct or immediate advantages: thorium use (A) is related to fission technology; satellite navigation (B) is unrelated to nuclear energy; and improving fission reactor efficiency (C) is also not the primary goal of a fusion project.
science-and-technology: India is an important member of the 'International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor'. If this experiment succeeds, wha

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