Nuclear Power Corporation of India

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nuclear Power Corporation of India

Type

Govt of India-owned enterprise

Industry

Energy

Founded

September 1987[1]

Headquarters

16th Floor, Centre I, World Trade Centre, Cuffe

Parade,Colaba,[2], Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Key people

S. K. Sharma, CMD (Since June 2016)

Products

Nuclear power and electricity

generation and distribution

Operating

79.62 billion(US$1.2 billion) (20122013)[3]

income

Net income

Total equity

Website

21.01 billion(US$310 million) (20122013)

207.4 billion(US$3.1 billion) (20082008)

www.npcil.nic.in

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is a government-owned

corporation of India based in Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra. It is wholly owned by the Central
Government and is responsible for the generation of nuclear power for electricity. NPCIL is
administered by the Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India (DAE).
NPCIL was created in September 1987 under the Companies Act 1956, "with the objective of
undertaking the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the atomic power stations for
generation of electricity in pursuance of the schemes and programmes of the Government of
India under the provision of the Atomic Energy Act 1962." All nuclear power plants operated by the
company are certified for ISO-14001 (Environment Management System).
NPCIL was the sole body responsible for constructing and operating India's commercial nuclear
power plants till setting up of BHAVINI ( Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam ) in October 2003. As of
10 August 2012 the company had 21 nuclear reactors in operation at seven locations, a total
installed capacity of 5780 MWe.[4][5] Subsequent to the government's decision to allow private
companies to provide nuclear power, the company has experienced problems with private
enterprises "poaching" its employees.[6]

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

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Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

Agency overview

Formed

November 15, 1983; 32 years ago

Jurisdiction

Indian government

Headquarters

Mumbai

Employees

Classified

Agency executive
Website

Shri Shiv Abhilash Bhardwaj, Chairman

http://www.aerb.gov.in/

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) was constituted on November 15, 1983 by
the President of India by exercising the powers conferred by Section 27 of the Atomic Energy Act,
1962 (33 of 1962) to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions under the Act. The regulatory
authority of AERB is derived from the rules and notifications promulgated under the Atomic Energy
Act, 1962 and the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986. The headquarters is in Mumbai.[1]
The mission of the Board is to ensure that the use of ionising radiation andnuclear
energy in India does not cause undue risk to health and theenvironment. Currently, the Board
consists of a full-time Chairman, an ex officio Member, three part-time Members and a Secretary.
AERB is supported by the Safety Review Committee for Operating Plants (SARCOP), Safety Review
Committee for Applications of Radiation (SARCAR) and Advisory Committees for Project Safety
Review (ACPSRs) (e.g.Pressurized heavy-water reactor, light water reactor, Prototype Fast Breeder
Reactor and waste management projects). ACPSRs recommend to AERB issuance of authorisations
at different stages of a plant of the Department of Atomic Energy(DAE), after reviewing the
submissions made by the plant authorities based on the recommendations of the associated Design
Safety Committees. The SARCOP carries out safety surveillance and enforces safety stipulations in
the operating units of the DAE. The SARCAR recommends measures to enforce radiation safety
in medical, industrial and researchinstitutions which use radiation and radioactive sources.
AERB also receives advice from the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Safety (ACNS). ACNS is
composed of experts from AERB, DAE and institutions outside the DAE. ACNS provides
recommendations on the safety codes, Guides and manuals prepared for siting, design,
construction, operation, quality assurance and decommissioning/life extension of nuclear power
plants which have been prepared by the respective advisory committees for each of these areas. It
also advises the Board on generic safety issues. ACNS examines and advice on any specific matter
that are referred to it by AERB.
The administrative and regulatory mechanisms which are in place ensure multi-tier review by experts
available nationwide. These experts come from reputed academic institutions and governmental
agencies.

The Formation of AERB: Down the memory Lane[edit]

During the commissioning of Tarapur Atomic Power Station in 1969, the Department of Atomic Energy
(DAE) set up a safety committee to receive advice on matters related to safety and to give clearance
for first criticality and subsequent power operation of the station. A Design and Operations Review
Committee was later constituted to monitor the safety aspects of TAPS operation independently. One
of the ex-chiefs of AERB, Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, had difference of opinion with the DAE tsars and,
after his retirement, he has been writing about AERB being a paper tiger controlled by nuclear hungry
DAE bosses. After Fukushima incident, the government of India is thinking of making AERB an
independent regulatory authority to save face.

DAE Safety Review Committee (DAE-SRC)[edit]

DAE-SRC was set up on February 3, 1972 to offer advice to DAE on safety matters related to
commissioning and operation of Unit-1 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station. The experts for the

Committee were drawn from within DAE. The Safety Committee appointed by Director, Power Projects
Engineering Division on December 15, 1969 to prepare Safety Report for RAPS-1 was authorised by
DAE to monitor the performance of commissioning tests and to make safety reviews till the attainment
of commercial operation.
The formal regulatory review was consolidated with the reconstitution of SRC on December 2, 1975 to
deal with major safety policies and issues in all the constituent units of DAE. SRC dealt with nearly all
aspects related to the safety of operations in DAE units.

Recommendation to set up AERB[edit]

On July 23, 1979 Secretary, DAE constituted a Committee chaired by Dr. M.D. Karkhanawala,
Chairman, DAE-SRC with Shri S.D. Soman the then Head, Health Physics Division as MemberSecretary to study "the existing terms of reference of SRC, its functions, the modalities of reporting by
the Units as well as the impediments faced by the Committee". According to the notification setting up
the committee, the review of the terms of reference and the working of the Safety Review Committee
became necessary "to ensure that not only safety consciousness is inculcated, but that safe practices
prevail in all the Units of the DAE including the public sector undertakings".
The Committee was asked to report on the specific functions and responsibilities of SRC in order to
enable the DAE to discharge its obligations under the Atomic Energy Act in so far as all the units as
well as the public sector undertakings of the Department are concerned.
The Committee was reconstituted on February 18, 1980 with Shri V.N. Meckoni, the then Director,
Chemical Group, BARC as the Chairman and Shri S.D. Soman, the then Head, Health Physics
Division as Member-Secretary. The Report of the Committee titled "Reorganization of Regulatory and
Safety Functions" (February 1981) recommended "the creation of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board by
the Atomic Energy Commission with powers to lay down safety standards and assist DAE in framing
rules and regulations for enforcing regulatory and safety requirements envisaged under the Atomic
Energy Act 1962". The Committee also recommended that AERB "should be a statutory body under
the Act (if necessary by suitable amendment of the Act) to give AERB a legal basis".
The Committee stated that "in order to enable AERB to function effectively and exercise its authority in
an independent manner it should be constituted by and reporting to the Atomic Energy Commission
and should consist of senior persons from DAE as well as external members. In this manner public
confidence in nuclear safety matter would be enhanced".
The current functions and powers of AERB are almost verbatim taken from the report of the committee.
AERB was set up on November 15, 1983. A separate notification indicating the functions and
responsibilities of DAE-SRC was issued simultaneously. AERB's functions included enforcement of
provisions of radiological protection in the radiation installations outside the DAE. Professor A.K.De,
formerly Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, was appointed the first Chairman of AERB.
A Committee set up on March 21, 1987 with Shri V.N. Meckoni as Chairman reviewed the functions
and responsibilities of AERB. The Committee submitted its recommendations on May 15, 1987. These
were accepted by the Government. As recommended by the Committee, DAE-SRC became a part of

AERB as AERB-SRC and later as Safety Review Committee for Operating Plants (AERB-SARCOP).
The functions and responsibilities of AERB were broadened considerably. Currently, AERB is carrying
out its functions as per the original notification and in the light of the recommendations of the Meckoni
Committee.

Divisions of AERB[edit]
AERB secretariat has Nine technical divisions & two supporting divisions. The heads and directors of divisions
constitute the Executive Committee which meets periodically with Chairman, AERB and Vice-Chairman, AERB
to take decisions on important policy matters related to the management of the Secretariat of the Board. The
different divisions of AERB are:
1. SSED : Siting and Structural Engineering Division
2. IPSD : Industrial Plants Safety Division
3. R&DD :Resources & Documentation Division
4. NPSD : Nuclear Projects Safety Division
5. OPSD : Operating Plant Safety Division
6. RSD : Radiological Safety Division
7. NSAD : Nuclear Safety Analysis Division
8. SRI : Safety Research Institute, Kalpakkam
Support Division

1. Administration Division
2. Accounts Division

Siting and Structural Engineering Division

(SSED)[edit]
The primary responsibilities of SSED [previously Civil and Structural
Engineering Division (CSED)] are:
a) Safety Review pertaining to Civil and Structural Engineering aspects of nuclear reactors, fuel cycle
facilities, industrial and radiation facilities of DAE.
b) Site evaluation of nuclear facilities
c) Developing civil engineering safety criteria for design, construction and erection of NPPs

Industrial Plants Safety Division

(IPSD)[edit]
The IPSD's primary reposnsibilities are:

a) Administration of The Factories Act, 1948 and The Atomic Energy (Factories) Rules, 1996 in DAE
units viz front end fuel cycle facilities of IREL, UCIL, NFC and HWPs, Nuclear Power Plants/Projects,
BRIT facilities, IGCAR facilities, ECIL facilities and DAE accelerator facilities of VECC and RRCAT.
b) Administration of The Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules, 2004 for enforcing radiological
safety in front end fuel cycle facilities, DAE accelerator units and all Beach Sand Minerals Facilities of
India.
c) Safety review of the above facilities during siting, construction, commissioning and operation.
d) Regulatory Inspection of the above facilities and special monthly regulatory inspection of major
construction projects of DAE.
e) Industrial Safety, Fire Safety and Occupational Health Safety review of all DAE projects and plants
(except BARC facilities).
f) Licensing of Operating Personnel in front end fuel cycle facilities

Resources and
Documentation
Division (RDD)
[edit]
The primary activities of
RDD includes
a) Document Development &Publication
b) Knowledge management(Training)
c) Manpower Induction
d) Website Management
e) Update of IT infrastructure
f) Library Management

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D
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:
a) Safety Review of Nuclear Projects.
b) Regulatory Inspection & Enforcement in projects under construction.
c) Issue of authorisations at various stages of the projects as per established procedures and
protocols.
d) Review of physical protection aspects in projects.

Operating
Plants
Safety
Division
(OPSD)
[edit]
The
responsibilities
of OPSD are:
a) Safety Review and Safety Surveillance including Health Physics Aspects and Emergency
b) Preparedness of operating NPPs and Research Reactors
c) Regulatory Inspection and Enforcement in respect of all operating NPPs and Research Reactors
d) Conducting Periodic Safety Review and Renewal of Authorisation
e) Licensing of the operating personnel and the management staff
f) Review of Physical Protection aspects in operating plants
g) Enforcement of Atomic Energy (Safe Disposal of Radioactive Wastes) Rules, 1987
h) Co-ordination with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the International Nuclear Event
Scale (INES) based reporting of events and for the Incident Reporting System (IRS) operated by
IAEA/NEA
i) Function as secretariat of SARCOP

Radiologic
[edit]
The RSD has the
a) Licensing, Surveillance and Safety Review of BRIT facilities and Non-DAE Radiation Installations
including Accelerators and Irradiators
b) Implementation of Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules, 2004 and enforcement of Atomic
Energy (Safe Disposal of Radioactive Waste) Rules, 1987 in non-DAE installations
c) Ensuring safety in Transportation of Radioactive Material in public domain
d) Function as secretariat for SARCAR (Safety Review Committee for Application of Radiation)

Nuclear Sa

NSAD's prime res

a) Safety Analysis and Safety Studies for nuclear facilities
b) Preparation of Regulatory Documents
c) Library and documentation services

Safety Res

The major activitie

interest. Some of

I. Nuclear Plant S
i) Reactor Physics Studies
ii) Seismic Studies Severe Accident Analysis
iii) Database Creation in Component Failure Rate
iv) Reliability Analysis of safety systems of Nuclear Power Plants
v) Development of methodology of Probabilistic Safety Assessment
'l;'l;'

III. Environmenta
i) Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (RSGIS) Applications
ii) Hydro-geological Investigations
iii) Modeling of Radionuclide Migration in the Ground Environment
iv) Environmental Impacts of Nuclear Discharges on Entrained Organisms

IV. Regulatory In
i) Services in the Regulatory Inspections of Radiation facilities in the Southern Region

AERB has a mech

through its own ex