Nuclear Degree

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay introduces a Master’s programme in nuclear engineering this year.

Japan’s earthquake-tsunami-nuclear reactor meltdown disaster trifecta this March made nuclear energy an explosive issue. Switzerland and Germany declared that they would phase nuclear power out completely by 2034 and 2022 respectively, and this week, Italy rejected Berlusconi’s national referendum to revive Italy’s nuclear energy. Meanwhile, despite violent local resistance, India remains undeterred in its plans for Jaitapur, a 9,900 MW nuclear power plant in Ratnagiri district, a biodiversity hotspot. India’s declared determination to rely on nuclear power—to amplify its nuclear capacity 12,000 per cent by 2050—could explain the decision of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to introduce a Master’s programme with a specialisation in nuclear engineering this year. The course, which will only admit eight students in its first year, has an evidently Japan-inspired curriculum, intended to reassure those already making panicked preparations for nuclear winter: it’ll concentrate on nuclear reactor engineering and safety, thermal engineering, and removal of heat generated by nuclear reactions. “Eventually, nuclear power is here to stay, as there is no alternative available immediately,” says Prof Shivprasad, Dean of Academic Programs, IIT-B, “and there is a shortage of engineers.”

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Shruti Ravindran