Which of the following atomic power stations in India was built completely with indigenous design and technology?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Narora

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
India's nuclear power programme has evolved from early dependence on foreign technology to increasingly indigenous design and construction. Examination questions often emphasise this progress by asking which station was built entirely with indigenous technology. Recognising Narora as a landmark in this journey shows awareness of India's scientific and technological development in the nuclear energy sector.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The question asks for an atomic power station that is completely indigenous in design and construction.
  • The options are Rawat Bhata, Kalpakkam, Tarapore, and Narora.
  • We assume familiarity with the approximate history of India's nuclear reactors and their technological sources.
  • Indigenous here means that the reactor design and construction were developed and implemented by Indian agencies without full foreign turnkey supply.


Concept / Approach:
The key idea is to distinguish early reactors built under international collaboration from later reactors based on Indian pressurised heavy water reactor designs. Tarapore was built with American collaboration and uses boiling water reactors. Rajasthan Atomic Power Station at Rawat Bhata and Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam involved significant foreign input in early stages. Narora Atomic Power Station, on the other hand, is typically identified in textbooks as India's first completely indigenous nuclear power station using Indian designed pressurised heavy water reactors.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Tarapore Atomic Power Station in Maharashtra was built with United States collaboration and therefore is not fully indigenous.Step 2: Remember that the early units at Rajasthan (Rawat Bhata) and Kalpakkam had Canadian and other foreign support in design and technology transfer.Step 3: Note that Narora Atomic Power Station in Uttar Pradesh uses Indian designed pressurised heavy water reactors and is widely cited as the first fully indigenous station.Step 4: Compare all four options and apply the criterion of completely indigenous design and construction.Step 5: Conclude that Narora best fits the description of an atomic power station built completely indigenously.


Verification / Alternative check:
Standard Indian geography, general knowledge, and science texts often mention Narora Atomic Power Station in connection with the phrase "built entirely with indigenous technology." When discussing the three stage nuclear power programme, they show a progression from foreign aided reactors at Tarapore and Rajasthan to Indian designed heavy water reactors at Narora and later stations. This repeated association between Narora and indigenisation provides a strong cross check that Narora is the correct answer.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Rawat Bhata: The Rajasthan Atomic Power Station at Rawat Bhata was initially built with Canadian collaboration, so it does not qualify as completely indigenous.
Kalpakkam: The Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam, though important, evolved from technology transfers and is not usually described as the first fully indigenous plant.
Tarapore: Tarapore Atomic Power Station was built with American technology and uses boiling water reactors, making it clearly non indigenous in origin.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes treat any station built later in time as "indigenous" without considering how much foreign technology was involved. Another mistake is to focus only on reactor type without paying attention to who developed the design. A reliable strategy is to memorise that Tarapore was US built, Rajasthan was Canada assisted, Kalpakkam was transitional, and Narora marked the milestone of fully Indian design and construction under the Department of Atomic Energy.


Final Answer:
The atomic power station in India that was built completely with indigenous design and technology is the Narora Atomic Power Station.

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