New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called the Kalpakkam fast breeder reactor achieving criticality a historic milestone of India’s nuclear energy journey, and said Indian scientists were advancing the civil nuclear programme and making a significant contribution to nation-building.
During his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ address, the PM also talked about the ongoing Census exercise, wind energy and Indian cheese and hailed Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Terming the Kalpakkam fast breeder reactor achieving criticality as a “significant achievement” of the country, Modi said India’s civil nuclear programme had greatly helped everyone from agriculture to modern innovators. He stressed that the nuclear reactor is built entirely using indigenous technology.
In a landmark achievement, the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) successfully attained first criticality (start of a controlled fission chain reaction) on April 6, marking a historic step in providing long-term energy security and advancing indigenous nuclear technology capabilities. The PFBRs are a cornerstone of India’s long-term nuclear strategy.
In his monthly radio address, the Prime Minister also stated that India had achieved a major milestone in wind energy, with the country’s wind energy generation capacity exceeding 56 gigawatts. He urged people to save electricity and adopt clean energy.
Talking about the Census exercise, the Prime Minister said that all information provided by the people would remain secure and confidential and appealed to all citizens to participate in the process and make it a success.
“Census 2027 has been made digital. All information is being recorded directly through digital means,” said Modi while adding that personnel visiting homes are equipped with a mobile app, and they will speak to everyone and enter the information right there.
“Your participation in this census has also been made easier. You can now record your information yourself. A self-enumeration facility will be available to you 15 days before the official visit. You can fill in the details at your own convenience,” Modi said, adding, “Once completed, the applicant will receive a unique ID via mobile or email. Later, when the official arrives at your home, you can simply show this ID to confirm your details.”
The Prime Minister said that in states where self-enumeration had been completed, the work of house listing by census officials had begun. So far, the house listing for approximately 12 million (1.2 crore) families has been completed, he said.
Remembering Rabindranath Tagore ahead of his 165th birth anniversary, Modi, in his 133rd Mann ki Baat broadcast, said that the Nobel laureate was not only a great writer and thinker but also shaped many renowned institutions.
“On May 9, on the occasion of ‘Pochishe Boishakh’ (the 25th day in the first month of the Bengali calendar), the country will celebrate Gurudev Tagore’s birth anniversary… Gurudev was a multifaceted personality. He was not only a great writer and thinker but also shaped many renowned institutions,” Mr Modi said.
In his address, Modi said that the music of the Beating Retreat ceremony after Republic Day ws available on WAVES OTT for the first time, and in the future it will be available on other platforms as well.
Noting the growing popularity of Indian cheese globally, Modi stated that the Indian dairy sector was undergoing a major transformation. He praised the Kalari cheese from Jammu and Kashmir, known as the “mozzarella of Kashmir”, made by the Gujjar-Bakarwal community for generations, and Chhurpi, a type of cheese quite very popular in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Ladakh.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the “Topli Nu Paneer”, also known as “Surti cheese” in Maharashtra and Gujarat, saying it holds a unique identity.
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