Science TechnologyWednesday, 8 April 2026·https://testbook.com/current-affairs/08-april-2026-daily-current-affairs
Kalpakkam PFBR attains criticality, advancing India’s three-stage nuclear programme
India’s 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam attained criticality in April 2026, marking a key nuclear milestone.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In April 2026, India’s first indigenously developed 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, attained criticality and marked the start of the second stage of the national nuclear programme.
Key specifics
- The reactor was designed and built by BHAVINI under the Department of Atomic Energy.
- It uses Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel and a Uranium-238 blanket.
- India became the second country after Russia to possess a commercial-scale fast breeder reactor.
- The project involved contributions from over 200 Indian industries, including MSMEs.
- IGCAR at Kalpakkam, established in 1971, designed the PFBR.
Exam lens
Question type: science and technology, nuclear programme stages, PFBR 500 MWe, BHAVINI, IGCAR, Kalpakkam. TNPSC one-liner: Which reactor at Kalpakkam attained criticality in 2026 and is linked to India’s second-stage nuclear programme?