Defence Technology and India's Nuclear Programme
Defence Technology and India's Nuclear Programme
Defence questions in NTPC ask about DRDO missiles and their types, indigenous platforms such as INS Vikrant and Tejas, joint military exercises, and the nuclear programme: Pokhran tests, nuclear power plants and the three-stage plan. Group missiles by type and remember each nuclear plant with its state.
1. Missiles and Defence Platforms
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| DRDO | Set up 1958; headquarters New Delhi |
| IGMDP (1983) | Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme led by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash, Nag |
| Prithvi | Surface-to-surface ballistic missile |
| Agni-V | Long-range ballistic missile, over 5,000 km; MIRV test under Mission Divyastra (2024) |
| Akash | Surface-to-air missile |
| Nag | Anti-tank guided missile |
| BrahMos | Supersonic cruise missile, India-Russia venture; name from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers |
| NASM-SR | Naval Anti-Ship Missile (Short Range); India's first indigenous air-launched anti-ship missile, tested from a Navy helicopter |
| Tejas | Light combat aircraft built by HAL |
| INS Vikrant | First indigenous aircraft carrier, commissioned 2 September 2022 |
| INS Arihant | First indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine |
2. Joint Military Exercises
| Exercise | Partner |
|---|---|
| Yudh Abhyas | USA (army) |
| Malabar | USA, Japan, Australia (navies) |
| Garuda | France (air force) |
| Varuna | France (navy) |
| Mitra Shakti | Sri Lanka |
| Sampriti | Bangladesh |
| Nomadic Elephant | Mongolia |
| Dharma Guardian | Japan (army) |
3. Nuclear Programme
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Atomic Energy Commission | Set up 1948; Homi J. Bhabha its first chairman and father of the nuclear programme |
| BARC | Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai |
| Apsara | First research reactor in Asia (1956), Trombay |
| Tarapur | First nuclear power plant (1969), Maharashtra |
| Pokhran-I | 18 May 1974, code name Smiling Buddha |
| Pokhran-II | 11 and 13 May 1998, Operation Shakti; 11 May is National Technology Day |
| Kudankulam | Tamil Nadu; largest nuclear power plant, built with Russian VVER reactors |
| Other plants | Rawatbhata (Rajasthan), Narora (Uttar Pradesh), Kaiga (Karnataka), Kakrapar (Gujarat), Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu) |
| Three-stage plan | Pressurised heavy water reactors, then fast breeder reactors, then thorium-based reactors |
| Nuclear Energy Mission | Target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047 |
| Doctrine | No first use |
✗ BrahMos is a ballistic missile | ✓ BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile; Prithvi and Agni are ballistic
✗ Kudankulam is in Kerala | ✓ Kudankulam is in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu
हिंदी नोट: पोखरण-II परीक्षण 11 और 13 मई 1998 को ऑपरेशन शक्ति नाम से हुए; पोखरण-I (1974) का कोड नाम स्माइलिंग बुद्धा था। कुडनकुलम परमाणु बिजलीघर तमिलनाडु में है। ब्रह्मोस भारत-रूस का सुपरसोनिक क्रूज़ मिसाइल है।
Exam Pointer: Verified NTPC patterns: India's first indigenous air-launched anti-ship missile (August 2025 UG CBT-1), the code name of Pokhran-II (January 2021 CBT-1) and the state of Kudankulam (March 2026 Graduate CBT-1). Exercise questions are tagged syllabus-based.
Pariksha Pattern: Every Way NTPC Asks This Topic
Pattern 1: DRDO missiles and their types
[PYQ: NTPC UG CBT-1 19-Aug-2025 Shift-1]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. What type of missile is Akash?
A surface-to-air missile developed under the IGMDP.
Answer: Surface-to-air
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. What does NASM-SR stand for, and what made it a first? Name the two rivers behind the name BrahMos.
Naval Anti-Ship Missile (Short Range); it is India's first indigenous air-launched anti-ship missile. BrahMos is named after the Brahmaputra and the Moskva.
Answer: Naval Anti-Ship Missile Short Range, first indigenous air-launched anti-ship missile; Brahmaputra and Moskva
Pattern 2: Nuclear tests
[PYQ: NTPC CBT-1 4-Jan-2021 Shift-1]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. What was the code name of India's first nuclear test in 1974?
Smiling Buddha, conducted at Pokhran on 18 May 1974.
Answer: Smiling Buddha
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. On which dates were the Pokhran-II tests held, and which day was declared in their memory?
On 11 and 13 May 1998, under Operation Shakti. 11 May is observed as National Technology Day.
Answer: 11 and 13 May 1998; National Technology Day
Pattern 3: Nuclear power plants and the three-stage plan
[PYQ: NTPC Graduate CBT-1 19-Mar-2026 Shift-1]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Which was India's first nuclear power plant?
Tarapur in Maharashtra, 1969.
Answer: Tarapur
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Match the plant with its state: Kaiga, Rawatbhata, Kakrapar. Which fuel is the third stage of India's nuclear plan built on?
Kaiga is in Karnataka, Rawatbhata in Rajasthan and Kakrapar in Gujarat. The third stage uses thorium, which India has in large reserves.
Answer: Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat; thorium
Pattern 4: Platforms and military exercises
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Which is India's first indigenous aircraft carrier?
INS Vikrant, commissioned on 2 September 2022.
Answer: INS Vikrant
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Match the exercise with the partner country: Garuda, Mitra Shakti, Nomadic Elephant.
Garuda is with France (air force), Mitra Shakti with Sri Lanka and Nomadic Elephant with Mongolia.
Answer: France, Sri Lanka, Mongolia
60-Second Revision
- IGMDP 1983: Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash, Nag; BrahMos cruise; NASM-SR first air-launched anti-ship.
- Pokhran-I 1974 Smiling Buddha; Pokhran-II 1998 Operation Shakti.
- Tarapur first plant; Kudankulam Tamil Nadu; Apsara first reactor in Asia.
- Exercises: Yudh Abhyas USA, Garuda France, Mitra Shakti Sri Lanka.
Next Step: Space and Defence done, and with it the whole General Awareness section. Revise with the ExamAtlas RRB NTPC 2026 mock tests; science-and-tech news questions reward weekly revision.