Latest steps taken by Indian Government

Maiden Test Flight of Second Indigenous AWACS Aircraft

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              Achieving a major milestone, India has successfully carried out the maiden test flight of its second indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control System aircraft in Brazil.

             The successful flight is seen as a major boost as the aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in June to the IAF.

             The necessary mission systems and components including the dummy Active Antenna Array Unit is successfully fitted on board Embraer EMB 1451 aircraft and the flight was held on April 4, 2012 at the San Jose dos Campos in Brazil.

             India is working on an indigenous programme to develop ‘eyes in the sky’ using the Brazil aircraft as the platform for the radar.

             India has already inducted three AWACS system from Israel and is planning to place orders for two more.

Government to set up 10 spice parks in 2012

               The government would set up 10 spice parks across the country this year, to promote exports of spices from India.

               Spice Board of India will establish 10 spice parks across the most strategic locations in the country by the end of 2012.

                It has also earmarked an investment of Rs 167 crore in these spices parks. Out of which Rs 75 crore have already been invested in three such parks in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh (MP), Puttady in Kerala and Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

               The other parks will be completed during the year in states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, MP and Kota in Rajasthan. A spice park consists of units like processing, packaging and certification.

5300 MW more nuclear power in 12^th Plan

             India plans to add 5,300 MW nuclear power capacities during the 12^th Plan period, taking the total contribution of atomic power to 9980 MW to the country’s energy basket.

             This planned capacity addition includes power from two 1,000 MW units at Kundankulam being built by the Nuclear Power Corporation with Russian collaboration. “The proposed capacity addition target during the 12^th plan is envisaged as 5300 MW,” the budget documents of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) state under the head “Deliverables of 12^th Plan”.

             The capacity addition is planned through two 1000 MW units at Kundankulam, one 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, two 700 MW indigenously developed Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) each at Kakrapar and Rawat Bhata respectively.

             While the two units at Kundankulam are expected to be commissioned by August this year, the ambitious sodium-cooled PFBR is expected to start generating power by 2015-16.