Nuclear

Talks on to make Russia-designed nuclear small modular reactors in India

The government had announced the Nuclear Energy Mission in the Union Budget 2025-26, emphasising the development and deployment of five indigenous SMRs by 2033 with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore

Bill on civil nuclear sector among proposed legislations for winter session

A bill seeking to open up the civil nuclear sector for private players is among the 10 new proposed legislations listed by the government for introduction in the winter session of Parliament, beginning December 1. Besides the crucial 'The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025', which seeks to govern the use and regulation of atomic energy in India, the Higher Education Commission of India Bill is also on the agenda. According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, the proposed law seeks to set up a Higher Education Commission of India to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes to become independent and self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy. It has long been on the government's agenda. The National Highways (Amendment) Bill, also listed for introduction, seeks to ensure faster and transparent land acquisition for national highways. Another proposed legislation is the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, .

UN atomic watchdog urges Iran to give full data on nuclear stockpile

The UN atomic watchdog's board of governors urged Iran on Thursday to extend full and prompt cooperation, provide the agency's inspectors with precise information about its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium and grant access to the country's nuclear sites. The development sets the stage for a likely further escalation of tensions between the UN nuclear agency and Iran, which has reacted strongly to similar moves by the watchdog in the past. There was no immediate response from Tehran. Nineteen countries on the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board voted for the resolution at the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-door vote. Russia, China and Niger opposed it, while 12 countries abstained and one did not vote. The resolution was put forward by France, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States. A draft was seen by The Associated Press. Iran is legally obliged to .

Russia may resume nuclear tests after Trump's call to restart US testing

Trump recently said he had ordered his defence department to restart nuclear weapons testing on an 'equal basis' with Russia and China

Russia tests nuclear-powered submersible drone with unlimited range

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Russia has successfully tested a nuclear-powered submersible drone with unlimited range. During a televised meeting with servicemen while visiting a military hospital, Putin said the "nuclear-powered" automatic unmanned submersible vehicle 'Poseidon', which is "much more powerful" than Russia's most advanced prospective Sarmat' ballistic missile, was successfully tested on Tuesday. He said the Poseidon drone was launched from a mother submarine and is equipped with a nuclear power plant 100 times smaller than the reactor of a strategic submarine. Putin also said that the Sarmat missile would soon enter combat duty. There is no other platform like the Sarmat in the world. We don't have one on duty yet. But it will go operational soon, he said. Referring to last week's successful test of the unique nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile with unlimited range, Putin said its reactor is a thousand times smaller than that of a submarine an

Putin claims Russia conducted successful nuclear cruise missile test

Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said the Burevestnik was tested on October 21

UK sanctions 70 people, groups with links to Iran's nuclear programme

The UK has sanctioned 70 people and organisations with links to Iran's nuclear programme. The sanctions come amid concerns the Islamic Republic is developing weapons, the British Foreign Office said Tuesday. The penalties aimed at 62 groups and nine people follow a decision by Britain, France and Germany last month to trigger the snapback mechanism to automatically reimpose all United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme. The three nations, known as the E3, said at the time that Iran had willfully departed from the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted the measures. Iran's nuclear programme has long been a serious concern to the international community, as a significant threat to global peace and security, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. This sanctions package sends a clear message to Tehran we will continue to take every step necessary to prevent Iran ever developing a nuclear weapon. The UN sanctions in effect before the deal included a conventional arms embargo,

Iran likely conducted an undeclared missile test, satellite photos show

Iran has likely carried out an undeclared missile test at its Imam Khomeini Spaceport, satellite photos analysed by The Associated Press showed Thursday, underlining Tehran's effort to maintain its weapons programme despite the 12-day war with Israel in June. Iran has not formally acknowledged the test last week, carried out at a circular pad that has hosted other major launches by the country's civilian space programme. A single lawmaker in Iran's parliament, however, claimed, without offering evidence, that Tehran tested a possible intercontinental ballistic missile. The test and the claim raise concerns that Iran may be trying to expanding the reach of its missiles as tensions remain high ahead of United Nations sanctions, which are likely to be reimposed this weekend over Tehran's nuclear programme as it also repairs missile sites that were struck by the Israelis. Israel's successes in the 12-day war against Iran's missile attacks reinforced for Tehran the importance of ...

Iran withdraws resolution to ban attacks on nuclear sites after US pressure

Iran decided at the last minute Thursday to withdraw a resolution prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities that it had put forward along with China, Russia and other countries for a vote before an annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog's member nations. Western diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the US has been heavily lobbying behind the scenes to prevent the resolution from being adopted. The US has raised the possibility of reducing funding to the International Atomic Energy Agency if the resolution was adopted and if the body moved to curtail Israel's rights within the agency, the diplomats said. In 1981, the provision of assistance to Israel under the IAEA's technical assistance programme was suspended as a result of an Israeli strike on a nuclear reactor in Iraq. At the time, the attack was strongly condemned in resolutions by the UN Security Council, the IAEA General Conference and the IAEA Board of Governors. The ...

NTPC to set up nuclear projects on standalone basis, besides JV route: CMD

Power major NTPC is planning to set up nuclear power projects both as part of joint venture route and on a standalone basis, CMD Gurdeep Singh has said. The company is collaborating with technology providers and state governments to explore individual nuclear projects, Singh has said. At present, the installed capacity of NTPC Group is 82,926 MW (53 NTPC-owned stations and 53 joint venture/subsidiary stations), from sources like coal, liquid fuel, hydro and solar. In December 2024, CMD Singh had announced NTPC's ambitious plan to enter into the area of nuclear energy, a move which will increase the non-fossil energy portfolio of the state-owned power company. Addressing a session at the Bihar Business Connect 2024' summit in Patna, he had said that looking at the future of the energy sector, nuclear energy is expected to become extremely important for the energy sector, 20-30 years down the line. NTPC is also now entering the nuclear energy space. Sharing an update over nuclear pl

Govt likely to allow private cos to mine uranium to help nuclear expansion

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government plans to expand nuclear power production capacity by 12 times by 2047

Europeans, Iranians meet as return of sanctions looms over nuclear deadlock

Iranian and European diplomats are set to meet in Istanbul Friday to embark on the latest drive to unpick the deadlock over Tehran's nuclear programme. Representatives from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 nations, will gather at the Iranian consulate building for the first talks since Iran's 12-day war with Israel in June, which involved US bombers striking nuclear-related facilities. The talks are centred on the possibility of reimposing sanctions on Iran that were lifted in 2015 in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear programme. The return of sanctions, known as a snapback mechanism, remains on the table, according to a European diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. A possible delay in triggering snapback has been floated to the Iranians on the condition that there is credible diplomatic engagement by Iran, that they resume full cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),

UK and France order more cruise missiles, pledge nuclear cooperation

The announcement made during a state visit to the UK by Macron is part of an attempt by both leaders to signal their commitment to Europe's sovereign defense capabilities amid the threat from Russia

Israel urges China to pressure Iran to rein in military, nuclear ambitions

'China is the only one capable of influencing Iran,' Ravit Baer, Israel's Consul General said. 'Iran would collapse if China didn't buy its oil'

Russia considers stake sale in $25 billion Turkish nuclear power plant

The project has been beset by delays and financing problems because foreign banks fear exposure to US penalties

Iran's uranium may have survived Israeli, US attacks: UN nuclear chief

The IAEA says no other country has enriched to such a high level without producing nuclear weapons, and Western powers say there is no civil justification for it

Trump-brokered truce gains ground as nuclear watchdog seeks Iran access

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said that the country's atomic programme has been set back significantly

Netanyahu vows to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat as conflict escalates

As Operation Rising Lion enters its seventh day, Israel says it is ready to strike Iran's nuclear and missile sites independently, but would welcome international help

India believed to have 'slightly expanded' nuclear arsenal in 2024: Report

Nearly all of the nine nuclear-armed states, including India and Pakistan, continued intensive nuclear modernisation programmes in 2024, upgrading existing weapons and adding newer versions, according to a report by a global think-tank. India is believed to have once again "slightly expanded" its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a statement. Pakistan also continued to develop new delivery systems and "accumulate fissile material" in 2024, suggesting that its nuclear arsenal might expand over the coming decade, it said. The think-tank on Monday launched its annual assessment of the state of armaments, disarmament and international security in SIPRI Yearbook 2025. The statement on the release of its yearbook also makes a reference to the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan. The four-day military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighb

India has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan, China far ahead: SIPRI report

A new SIPRI yearbook reveals that India now has more nuclear warheads than Pakistan. But China continues to outpace both South Asian neighbours.