Nuclear bill fallout: 200% more opt for Barc course

Thanks to the focus on nuclear power generation and the buzz around the Nuclear Liability Bill, one of the courses at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Barc) has seen a 200% jump in the number of applications.

The orientation course for engineering graduates and science postgraduates (OCES) is a one-year course conducted at the five training schools of Barc. After passing out, students can join as scientific officers in one of the units of the department of atomic energy (DAE).

In 2009-10, around 30,000 candidates applied for the programme. The number of applications this year is a surprising 88,000 (up by 58,000).
“There is a renewed interest in tapping nuclear energy. Issues like India’s nuclear programme, the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement and the liability bill are in the news these days. It seems candidates have read up on these issues and find this course to be a viable career option,” said RK Sharma, head of the media relations and public awareness section at Barc.

Since the number of seats for the course are limited, around 402 from the 88,000 applicants have been selected from al over the country.

“Another reason is that Barc has also started making considerable efforts to reach out to the universities and create awareness among students about the training programme and the career opportunities it has to offer,” said Sharma.

The 2009-10 batch of 438 students has completed training. Of this, around 137 candidates, who cleared the course from the Barc Training School in Mumbai, will be part of the graduation ceremony at Barc on August 30.
The training programme covers nuclear technology fundamentals in addition to discipline specific courses.

The course is meant for those who like challenges in frontline science and technology, and want to be a part of expanding programme of nuclear reactors, accelerators and fuel cycle technologies.

The candidates are placed across DAE units like Barc (Mumbai), Atomic Minerals Directorate of Exploration & Research (Hyderabad), Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (Kalpakkam), Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (Mumbai), Heavy Water Board (Mumbai), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (Mumbai), Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (Indore) and Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (Kalpakkam) among others.