With growing scarcity of fossil fuels, atomic energy is gaining more and more significance in India. Discuss the availability of raw material required for the generation of atomic energy in India and in the world. (UPSC 2013)

Atomic energy is gaining importance in India as fossil fuels decline and energy demand rises. Its viability depends mainly on uranium and thorium, plus a few auxiliary materials.

• India: Uranium reserves are limited and low grade, found mainly in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Rajasthan; domestic production meets only part of reactor needs, so imports from Kazakhstan, Canada, Russia and Uzbekistan remain vital. In contrast, India has one of the world’s largest thorium reserves in monazite sands along the coasts of Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, giving long-term strength to its three-stage nuclear programme.
• World: Uranium is concentrated in Australia, Kazakhstan, Canada, Namibia and Russia. Thorium is more widely dispersed, with major resources in India, Brazil, Australia, the USA and Turkey.

India is therefore uranium-deficit but thorium-rich, making nuclear power strategically important if fuel-cycle capacity is expanded.