RAS question
What capacity of SMRs does the Nuclear Energy Mission support for factory-built reactors?
Correct answer: (B) Up to 300 MW.
The Nuclear Energy Mission supports factory-built Small Modular Reactors with capacity up to 300 MW.
Explanation
The capacity being tested is the upper limit of the SMR category: up to 300 MW. The mission is linked to factory-built reactors that can scale for both remote and grid-connected needs. Press Information Bureau supports the same capacity figure and explains why SMRs fit this policy space: reactors of up to 300 MW are flexible in design, need a smaller footprint, and can be factory-built instead of being constructed on-site like conventional nuclear reactors. That factory-built model is central to the attraction of SMRs because it offers savings in cost and construction time while supporting reliable, continuous power supply.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Up to 100 MW understates the supported SMR capacity, which Press Information Bureau places at up to 300 MW.
- (C) Up to 500 MW goes beyond the SMR capacity limit and does not match the mission's supported category.
- (D) Up to 1000 MW describes a much larger reactor scale, while the SMR framework is capped at up to 300 MW.
Concept
This tests the Science and Technology syllabus theme of emerging clean-energy technologies. It recurs in RAS because nuclear energy, indigenous technology development, and energy-transition policy are standard current-affairs intersections.