[citation needed] When Bhabha realised that technology development for the atomic energy programme could no longer be carried out within TIFR he proposed to the government to build a new laboratory entirely devoted to this purpose.

Bhabha established the BARC Training School to cater to the manpower needs of the expanding atomic energy research and development program.

Purnima-I is a plutonium oxide fuelled 1 MWTh pulsed-fast reactor that was built starting in 1970 and went critical on 18 May 1972 to primarily support the validation of design parameters for development of plutonium-239 powered nuclear weapons.

[citation needed] Along with DRDO and other agencies and laboratories BARC also played an essential and important role in nuclear weapons technology and research.

The tests achieved their main objective of giving India the capability to build fission and thermonuclear weapons(Hydrogen bomb/fusion bomb) with yields up to 200 Kilotons.

The then Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission described each one of the explosions of Pokhran-II to be "equivalent to several tests carried out by other nuclear weapon states over decades".

[8][9] BARC also developed stabilization systems for Seekers, Antenna Units for India's multirole fighter HAL Tejas and contributed to Chandrayaan-I and Mangalyaan missions.

CERN (LHC), India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO), ITER, Low Energy High Intensity Proton Accelerator (LEHIPA), Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR), Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE), etc.

Based on indigenous efforts, a flow sheet for reprocessing of spent thoria rods was developed and demonstrated at Uranium Thorium Separation Facility (UTSF), Trombay.

The vitrified waste is stored for an interim period in an air cooled vault to facilitate the dissipation of heat generated during radioactive decay.

HLLW vitrification plants, based on IHMM or JHCM technologies, have been constructed and successfully operated at Trombay, Tarapur and Kalpakkam sites of India.

Major operations are mixing and milling, pre-compaction, granulation, Final compaction, Sintering, centreless grinding, degassing, endplug welding, decontamination of fuel elements and wire wrapping.

Reactors, ion and electron accelerators and lasers are being employed as tools to investigate crucial phenomena in materials over wide length and time scales.

Major facilities, operated by BARC for research in Physical sciences, include the Pelletron-Superconducting linear accelerator at TIFR, the National Facility for Neutron Beam Research (NFNBR) at Dhruva, a number of state-of-the-art beam lines at INDUS synchrotron, RRCAT-Indore, the TeV Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope with Imaging Camera (TACTIC) at Mt.

Recent achievements include: commissioning of the Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE) at Ladakh, a time-of-flight neutron spectrometer at Dhruva, the beam-lines at INDUS (Small-and wide angle X-ray Scattering (SWAXS), protein crystallography, Infrared spectroscopy, Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), Photoelectron spectroscopy (PES/ PEEM), Energy and angle-dispersive XRD, and imaging), commissioning of beam-lines and associated detector facilities at BARC-TIFR Pelletron facility, the Low Energy High Intensity Proton Accelerator (LEHIPA) at BARC, the Digital holographic microscopy for biological cell imaging at Vizag.

The Low Energy High Intensity Proton Accelerator (LEHIPA) project is under installation at common facility building in BARC premises.

It was built by Electronics Corporation of India, Hyderabad, for the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and was assembled at the campus of Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle.

[10] Materials Science and Engineering plays an important role in all aspects including sustaining and providing support for Indian nuclear program and also developing advanced technologies.

Membrane technologies have been deployed not only for nuclear waste treatment but for society at large in line with the Jal Jeevan Mission of Government of India to provide safe drinking water at the household level.

Development and demonstration of fluidized bed technology for applications in nuclear fuel cycle; synthesis and evaluation of novel extractants; synthesis of TBM materials (synthesis of lithium titanate pebbles); molecular modeling for various phenomena (such as permeation of hydrogen and its isotopes through different metals, desalination using carbon nanotubes, effect of composition of glass on properties relevant for vitrification, design of solvents and metal organic frameworks); applications of microreactors for intensification of specific processes; development of low temperature freeze desalination process; environment-friendly integrated zero liquid discharge based desalination systems; treatment of industrial effluents; new generation membranes (such as high performance graphene-based nanocomposite membranes, membranes for haemodialysis, forward osmosis and metallic membranes); hydrogen generation and storage by various processes (electrochemical water splitting, iodine-sulphur thermochemical, copper-chlorinehybrid thermochemical cycles); development of adsorptive gel materials for specific separations; heavy water upgradation; metal coatings for various applications (such as membrane permeator, neutron generator and special applications);fluidized bed chemical vapour deposition; and chemical process applications of Ultrasound Technology (UT).

Major component technologies involved in LHP50 include ultra-high speed gas bearing supported miniature turboexpanders and compact plate fin heat exchangers along with cryogenic piping and long-stem valves all housed inside the LHP50 Cold Box.

Modelling of contaminant transport and dispersion in the atmosphere and hydrosphere, Radiological impact assessment of waste management and disposal practices, Development of Environmental Radiation Monitoring systems and Establishment of country wide radiation monitoring network, establishment of benchmarks for assessing the radiological impact of the nuclear power activities on the marine environment.

Understanding DNA damage repair, replication, redox biology and autophagy process and development of radio-sensitizers, chemo-sensitizers for cancer therapy.

Design and synthesis of organo-fluorophores and organic electronic molecules, relevant to nuclear sciences and societal benefits (advanced technology and health).

Design and synthesis of organo-fluorophores and organic electronic molecules, relevant to nuclear sciences and societal benefits (advanced technology and health).

[27] Preclinical and translational research is aimed at development of new drugs and therapeutics for prevention and mitigation of radiation injury, de-corporation of heavy metals and treatment of inflammatory disorders and cancers.

Studying macromolecular structures and protein-ligand interactions using biophysical techniques like X-ray crystallography, neutron-scattering, circular dichroism and synchrotron radiation, with an aim for ab-initio design of therapeutic molecules.

[28] In the first stage of the programme, natural uranium fueled pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) produce electricity while generating plutonium-239 as by-product.

According to the three-stage programme, Indian nuclear energy could grow to about 10 GW through PHWRs fueled by domestic uranium, and the growth above that would have to come from FBRs till about 50GW.

Using the experience gained from the operation of the FBTR, a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is in advanced stage of construction at Kalpakkam.