Our reactors meet global benchmarks, says Kakodkar

8220;India is on a rapid economic growth path and needs access to energy at a magnitude higher than the present level. In an environmentally conscious world, nuclear energy thus stands out as an inevitable option. As a matter of fact, one now visualises a nuclear renaissance. That is what we are working for,8221; he told the audience.

The AEC chief said, 8220;Ours is a self-reliant programme where the R038;D carried out in our laboratories has been successfully translated into commercially successful and robust nuclear power programme based on Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor PHWR system. I am happy to inform you that the performance of our indigenously developed PHWR systems is at par or even better than global benchmarks.8221;

Saying that on the country8217;s nuclear map Jharkhand had a 8216;special place8217;, he claimed that uranium mining operations in the state had maintained required safety standards. 8220;We have had several surveys, some of them independent, to show that these have not caused any health related or any other harm to people in the neighbourhood or to environment at large,8221; he added.