Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy in India | Social Issue Essay, Article, Paragraph for Class 12, Graduation and Competitive Examination.

Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy in India

Scheme of the Essay

Exposition: Nuclear capability gives status to the country.

Rising Action: The fear expressed by China and Pakistan is for propaganda.

Climax:

(1) India needs nuclear energy to meet the power shortage.

(2) Artificial dams can be built.

(3) Roads can be laid.

(4) The shelf life of vegetables and fruits can be increased with radiation.

(5) Nuclear technology can be harnessed for medicinal purposes. Ending: India is to make use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The nuclear capability gives status to a country in the community of nations. No nation can afford to make destructive use of the nuclear energy without risking a World War. That is why America did not make use of nuclear weapons in the Vietnam war though victory had become a matter of prestige for her. Similarly, Russia preferred to pull out her missile bases from Cuba instead of coming in direct conflict with the nuclear power America. But India, since she started adopting nuclear technology had decided to make only peaceful use of nuclear energy. The fear expressed by Pakistan and the comments made in the Chinese press are more for the sake of propaganda than for the projection of truth.

India needs nuclear energy in order to meet her power shortage. She has been depending upon hydroelectric power which is undependable because of the uncertainty of rainfall. Good quality of coal which is another source of energy cannot be extracted commercially because it lies very deep and the cost of extraction would be very high. India is not producing much of oil rather she has to import nearly 74 per cent of her total consumption. So, the only alternative with India is to have a cheaper and more dependable source of energy. The known reserves of thorium in India are sufficient to last many hundred years. That is why India had already commissioned two nuclear power stations, one at Tarapur and the other at Rana Pratap Sagar. Each one has the installed capacity of producing 420 M.W. of electricity. Two other stations, one at Narora and the other at Kalpakkam, operational were made later on. This energy will be able to meet the power shortage throughout the country. If industries work at their full capacity, production will be higher and so per capita income will increase and inflation will be neutralised.

With the help of controlled nuclear explosions artificial dams can be made. In fact, for building a dam there should be two huge mountain walls enclosing a deep valley just near the courses of a river. These conditions are not available at all the places. So, with the help of controlled nuclear explosions mountains can be blown up. This can also help in laying roads in the mountainous areas. In fact some of the borders of India have mountainous terrain and the movement of the army is quite difficult. So even for the sake of national security it is necessary to have roads in those areas.

With the help of radiation, the shelf life of vegetables and fruits can be increased. In the tropical countries like India, it is necessary that the perishable fruit stuffs are preserved for a long time. Radiation can check the sprouting of onions and potatoes which are much in demand in foreign countries. Similarly, fruits like bananas and mangoes which have much export potential can be preserved for a very long time. The texture and taste of the fruit do not undergo any change.

Nuclear technology can also be harnessed for medical purposes. It is said that radioactive iodine is used for detecting the diseases of the thyroid glands. Similarly, India has been able to prepare, with the help of U.N. experts, radiated vaccine which can immunise sheep from ringworm disease, which used to take a heavy toll of sheep every year.

Properly processed nuclear fuel is also used for sending artificial satellites into the space. Weather satellites can predict cyclones and the rainfall with extreme type of accuracy. Communication satellites can help in conveying the messages to very long distances. In a huge country like India communication satellites are necessary.

Radiation is also used for preparing the mutant seeds. Many varieties of rice and some cereals have been prepared at Tarapur laboratory. This will increase our agricultural production and help India to become economically better off. So, for India it is necessary to make peaceful uses of nuclear energy.