The Department of Atomic Energy has made significant strides in Research and Development (R&D) over the past five years, allocating a total budget of ₹13,196.25 crore across various premier institutions and research centres in India. This was revealed in a written reply in Parliament today, outlining both financial investment and project progress in nuclear and allied scientific domains.
Among the top recipients of R&D funding, the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) received the highest allocation of ₹4,952.12 crore, achieving a utilisation rate of 95.58%. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) followed closely with an allocation of ₹4,265.69 crore and an impressive budget utilisation rate of 99.39%. The c (RRCAT) also demonstrated excellent financial efficiency, utilising 99.75% of its ₹576.42 crore allocation.
Other significant institutions include the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) with ₹1,099.11 crore at 95.67% utilisation and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), which used 100% of its ₹852.30 crore funding. Similarly, the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) fully utilised its ₹206.10 crore budget. The Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) received ₹192.59 crore, of which 87.40% was utilised, while the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) used 97.19% of its ₹225 crore allocation.
However, a few institutions showed lower utilisation. The University of Mumbai-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS) utilised only 59.40% of its ₹158.49 crore allocation. The Harish-Chandra Research Institute (HRI) used 36.94% of its ₹50.58 crore, and the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) utilised 63.15% of its ₹149.35 crore funding. The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSC) and the Institute of Physics (IOP) recorded 68.79% and 64.87% utilisation, respectively.
In terms of project approvals, BARC led the way with 60 projects approved in the past five years. Of these, 25 have been completed, while 35 are ongoing. IGCAR saw the completion of 26 projects, with 11 still underway, despite only five approvals being recorded, suggesting the inclusion of earlier sanctioned projects. RRCAT reported 10 completed projects out of a total of seven approved in the last five years, indicating progress on previously ongoing initiatives. VECC had seven projects approved, of which three have been completed and four remain ongoing.
Other institutions also made notable contributions. SINP completed 10 projects, UM-DAE CEBS and TMC each completed one and three projects respectively, and IPR completed eight. HRI and TIFR recorded the completion of seven and eight projects respectively, with both continuing work on several more. NISER had seven ongoing projects and two completed, while IOP completed eight and has four in progress. The IMSC, though receiving only two project approvals, currently has both in progress.
These developments underscore the commitment of the Department of Atomic Energy toward advancing India’s scientific research infrastructure. The high utilisation rates and the number of ongoing and completed projects reflect a robust ecosystem of research driving innovation in nuclear science and allied fields.