Nuclear oversight: Should India’s ministry of power take charge of nuclear energy? Assign with care

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. It has been reported that India’s power ministry wants the development of nuclear power projects brought under its ambit. This might ring alarm bells in some quarters, given that this form of energy has always been under the Department of Atomic Energy’s (DAE) supervision and nuclear safety requires specialized regulation that may be beyond the power ministry’s ken.

However, its demand is neither alarming nor a brazen sign of turf expansion. Article 77(3) of the Constitution lays down a key function of the President of India: “[The] President shall make rules for the more convenient transaction of the business of the Government of India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the said business." Thus, the responsibility and accountability for all government actions must be assigned to various specified ministries without any overlap. These orders take the form of two lists, one of which outlines the broad subjects, and the other, specific areas within each subject.

If nuclear power is to become a mainstay of India’s base capacity for electricity, not just an ancillary activity geared as much to supply us with electrons as to gain expertise in the field and fuel for our nuclear armoury, then it should join the country’s regular portfolio of power generation. A source-agnostic power ministry could then manage it in conjunction with thermal, hydroelectric and renewable energy—like solar and wind. As sources, the latter two are intermittent.

When the sun does not shine and wind ceases to blow, other supplies must fill the gaps for grid stability. This calls for battery storage and a mix of gas and hydel sources that can be shut down or restarted with relative ease. Coal-burning plants