Robust Regulatory System.pdf

The Atomic Energy Act was passed in 1948, and the Atomic Energy Commission was constituted the same year. The Atomic Energy Establishment Trombay (AEET) was set up in 1954, and Raja Ramanna's group provided film badge services to radiation workers. The Radiological Measurement Laboratory (RML) was established in 1956, and the Health Physics Division (HPD) was led by A.K. Ganguly. The Directorate of Radiation Protection (DRP) was formed in 1963 to monitor non-DAE radiation installations.

In the early years, scientists handled small amounts of radioactive materials at makeshift laboratories, resulting in some safety-related incidents. The first research reactor, Apsara, was designed and constructed without a formal safety analysis report, but it had necessary safety features. The second reactor, CIRUS, had a design and safety report prepared at the insistence of the Canadian Authority.

A formal reactor safety committee was set up in 1962, with A.S. Rao as Chairman, to review proposals and ensure safety. Other nuclear facilities, such as the Plutonium Plant and Power Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (PREFRE), were also established, with safety committees and reviews in place. The Health Physics Division played a key role in developing safety criteria for siting nuclear power plants, which were presented at an IAEA-sponsored international conference in 1963.