PFBR Marks Milestone in India’s Energy Security

15 Apr 2026 CW Team

At VAKTAVYA 2026 at Hindu College, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said the indigenously developed Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) marks a major milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliant energy security.

The minister said the reactor uses plutonium with liquid sodium as coolant, ensuring higher energy output with lower input and paving the way for thorium-based reactors by leveraging India’s thorium reserves.

He underlined that artificial intelligence is inevitable and will become integral to governance and daily life, and said AI can be an enabling tool for research, analysis and decision-making but must be deployed so human intelligence is not overshadowed.

He noted that India is ranked among leading startup nations, with the number of startups reaching about 0.2 million (mn) and rising over the past decade, and highlighted that nearly 50 per cent of these startups are emerging from tier-2 and tier-3 cities such as Sonipat, Panipat and Surat reflecting democratisation of opportunities.

He noted rising participation of women in the startup ecosystem and urged a change in mindset so students explore diverse opportunities beyond conventional career paths and use technological tools effectively.

He described the National Education Policy (NEP) as a shift that provides students flexibility to choose and change academic pathways and to pursue interdisciplinary learning aligned to evolving interests, and pointed to initiatives such as the VAIBHAV programme and the Pratibha Setu portal that link the scientific diaspora and verified UPSC aspirants respectively with domestic institutions and potential employers, helping build an enabling ecosystem for talent and innovation.

Infrastructure Transport

10 Jul 2026

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