NSA Ajit Doval Makes A Short Visit To Indira Gandhi Centre For Atomic Research, Near Kalpakkam In Tamil Nadu

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval quietly arrived in Chennai on Friday night (17 November), stayed at the Raj Bhavan, before departing the next day.

According to multiple sources, Doval had a meeting with Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi at Raj Bhavan, before heading for a short visit to Kalpakkam, home to the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research.

After his visit to Kalpakkam, Doval returned to Chennai on the same day and took an evening flight to Mumbai. During this time, Governor Ravi left for New Delhi on Sunday night (19 November), returning back the next afternoon.

The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research is one of India's foremost nuclear research centres. It is the second-largest institution in India, conducting nuclear research, apart from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, which is also situated in Kalpakkam.

It was established in 1971, on the insistence of Dr Vikram Sarabhai. It is home to the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), a 500 megawatt electric fast breeder reactor, which is part of the three-stage nuclear-power generation programme envisioned by Homi J Bhabha.

The surplus by-products of this PFBR can then be used to convert Thorium to Uranium, which can help India scale its nuclear power generation capacity.

India possesses one of the world's largest deposits of Thorium, with Uranium deposits being only a tenth of Thorium deposits.