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• India’s Journey to atomic energy research started with the establishment of the Automic Energy Commission on 10th August 1948, under the chairman of  Dr. Homi Jahangir Bhabha. Subsequently, the Department of Automic Energy (DAE) was established in 1954 for the implementation of atomic energy programs.

  Dr. Homi J. BhabhaHomi Jahangir Bhabha was an Indian nuclear physicist, and founding director, And professor of Physics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.Born: 30th October 1909, MumbaiDeath: 24th January 1966, Mont BlancAwards: Padma BhushanBooks: Homi Bhabha at artist: A selection of His Paintings, Drawings, and Sketches.

• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). BARC was established in 1957 at Trombay (Maharastra). It Is India’s largest atomic research center. Apsara (India’s first Atomic nuclear reactor include) is located here.
• BARC’s research center: Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (Kolkata), High Altitude Research Lab (Gulmarg), Nuclear Research Lab (Kashmir), And Seismic Station (Gauribidanur, Karnataka)
• Indra Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research. It was established in 1971 and is located at Kalpakkam (Chennai). The Centre carries out research and development of indigenous technology of sodium-cooled fast breeder reactors. 
• Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT). It was established in 1984 and located in Indore. The center Carries out research and development of high technology in fields like lasers, fusion, and acceleration.
• Pokhran Test: India has so far conducted 6 nuclear test explosions. The first nuclear explosion was conducted on 18th May 1974 at Pokhran in Rajasthan. 

Nuclear Power Station:

Nuclear Power Station
Nuclear Power Station	Location	Units	Capacity
Tarapur	Maharashtra	4	1400 MWe
Kalpakkam	Tamil Nadu	2	440 MWe
Rawatbhata	Rajasthan	6	1180 MWe
Narota	Uttar Pradesh	2	440 MWe
Kaiga	Karnataka	4	880 MWe
Kakrapur	Gujrat	2	440 MWe
Kundankulam	Tamil Nadu	2	2000 MWe
*  Of the seven atomic power station, Tarapur is the oldest and the biggest. Tarapur alone has two boiling water reactors whereas all others have pressurized heavy water reactors.
* One out of two reactors has reached its milestone of 1000 MWe power generation in June 2014.
*  A new proposed 9900 MW nuclear power project is coming up at Jaitapur at Madban village of Ratnagiri district, Maharastra. The power project will be the largest in the world in terms of net electric power. For details, see Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in GK’s topic, environment section.

List of Nuclear Research Centres In India

List of Nuclear Research Centres In India
Research Centre	Location
Atomic Energy Commission	Mumbai
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre	Trombay (Mumbai)
Electronics Corporation of India	Hyderabad
High Altitude Research Laboratory	Gulmarg(Kashmir)
Centre Mechanical Engineering Research Institute	Durgapur(West Bengal)
Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research	Dhanbad(Bihar)
Indian Rare Earths, Ltd	Mumbai
Radio Astronomy center	Ooty
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics	Kolkata
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research	Mumbai
Tata Memorial center	Mumbai
Uranium Corporation Of India	Jaduguda(Jharkhand)

Institutions under the Department of Atomic Energy:

Institutions under the Department of Atomic Energy
Research Centre	Location
Atomic Energy Education Society	Mumbai
Homi Bhabha National Institute	Mumbai
Institute of Mathematical Science	Chennai
Board of Research in Nuclear Science	Mumbai
National Board for Higher Mathematics	Chennai
Harish Chandra Research Institute	Allahabad
Institute of Plasma Research	Gandhinagar
National Institute of Science, Education and Research	Bhubaneswar
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics	Kolkata
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research	Mumbai
Tata Memorial center	Mumbai
Institute of Physics	Bhubaneswar

 The Major events of the Indian nuclear program are as follows:

1948: Establishment of Atomic Energy Commission

1954: dept. of Atomic Energy created

1956: Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

1957: APSARA was commissioned

1960: CIRUS was commissioned 

1961: ZERLNA was commissioned1968: Nuclear Fuel complex  
1969: Tarapur Power Station 
1971: The Reactor Research Centre, Kalpakkam 
1973: Rajasthan Atomic Power Station 
18 May 1974: Pokhran I 
1982: Reprocessing plant at Tarapur 
1984: Mixed fuel for FBTR 
1984: Atomic Energy Regulatory Board 
1985: Waste Immobilisation Plant at Tarapur 
1996: KAMINI Reactor 
11 & 13 may, 1998: Pokhran II 
2003: 500 MWe prototype fast breeder reactor’s site excavation work commenced at Kalpakkam. 
6 Mar 2005: India’s first 540MWe Nuclear Power Plant achieved “Critically” at Tarapur. 
2005: India is admitted to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor venture. Other parties in the venture were China, European Union, Japan, South Korea, & USA. 
2005: Centre for advance Technology Indore, dedicated in the memory of Dr. Raja Ramanna, renamed  as Raja Ramanna Centre for Advance Technology. 
2007: Unit 3 of the 220 MWe Kaiga Atomic Power Project in North Karnataka attained critically. 
2008: Low power critical facility at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre attained first critically. 
30 sept. 2008: India an France signed agreement on cooperation for peaceful use of nuclear energy. 
11 Nov, 2009: Unit 5 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station achieved first critically. 
22 Dec,2009: Unit 5 of RAPS synchronised to grid. 
23 Jan 2010: Unit 6 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station achieved critically. 
11 Feb 2010: India and UK signed joint declaration on Nuclear cooperation.  
12 Mar 2010: India and Russia agreed on aroadmap for construction of reactors of Russian design in Idndia. 
28 Mar 2010: Unit 6 of Rajasthan atomic Power station synchronised to grid. 
29 Mar 2010: India And USA completed negotiation on arrangements and procedures for processing U.S obligated spent nuclear fuel. 
31 Mar 2010: Unit 6 of Rajasthan atmic Power station commenced commercial operation. 
7 Dec 2010: India and France signed agreement for fuel supply. 
27 Nov 2010: Unit 4 of Kaiga achived first critically. 
9 Jan 2011: Unit 4 of Kaiga synchronised to grid.