India needs policy on materials, say Scientific Advisor

Hyderabad, June 19 (INN): The country needs to have a Material policy to identify the materials required for next 100 years taking into account the available resources in the country, said G Sateesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri and Director, RCI-Hyderabad.

Addressing as the Chief Guest at the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) Day celebrations on Friday, he said that NFC achieved 130-140% of targets and its contribution to the missile technology is remarkable, specially most of the components of Akash missile have been made here,', he said.

All Units of DAE ' BARC, RRCAT, NFC & ECIL, etc. have been contributing for the self reliance of missile programme. 'NFC has a healthy Management and Union Culture wherein the Unions support in achieving record production by NFC. After taking over as Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri, the focus of Scientific Advisor is to create synergy among the academic Institutions, R&D Organizations, Public Sector Undertakings and Private Sector.

Sateesh Reddy said that the composition of Research, Development and Production by these organizations needs to be reviewed and the potential of research being enormous all the above institutions need to enhance their research and development efforts.

Dr. N. Saibaba, Chairman & Chief Executive, Nuclear Fuel Complex while welcoming the Guests has read out the Achievements of NFC and list of important developments in the last one year. He has informed the gathering that the 7th lakh fuel bundle was produced in record 16 months period and achievement of 1252 Tons PHWR Fuel Bundles during the year ' far surpassing the name plate capacity of 850 Tons. Saibaba informed that Volatility in Worker and Management relationship is now arranged and managed by grass root workforce. He has informed that Dr. Ratan Kumar Sinha, Secretary, DAE and Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission has commented that this plant is cleanest in the world that he has seen during his recent visit on 09.05.2015.

Dr. P.S. Parihar, Director, AMD in his address has informed that AMD, UCIL and NFC are part of the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle and have been contributing to the nuclear power programme. He is a witness to the growth of NFC from 1976 to the present level and complimented all employees of NFC for their dedicated service in record Production. Shri P. Sudhakar, CMD, ECIL while addressing the gathering has informed that NFC and ECIL, being in the same neighborhood have been playing complementary role and ECIL has been extending necessary support to NFC with regard to instrumentation, SCADA Systems, Computerization, etc. He has noted that the achievements of NFC exceeding its own targets every year is laudable.

On this occasion, Stress Management Policy of NFC has been released by Dr. P.S. Parihar, Director, AMD and NFC Highlights for the year 2014-15 has been released by Shri P. Sudhakar, CMD, ECIL.

Shri S. Goverdhan Rao, Dy. Chief Executive (A) while proposing vote of thanks congratulated Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy for being the youngest Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri and for already starting the initiatives for formulating an action plan for improving the working of scientific organizations, in general and DRDO in particular.On this occasion, Members of various Associations viz. NUFCOA, NFCSAA, NUFCOSSA and NFCIWU have spoken and felicitated the Chief Guest, Guests of Honour, Dr. N.Saibaba, CE-NFC and Shri S. Goverdhan Rao, DCE (A), NFC.