lower allocation to DAE matter of concern for Parliamentary panel

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has voiced concern over the nearly Rs 6,000 crore cut in allocation to the Department of Atomic Energy against its demand of Rs 43,416 crore for the 2026 fiscal.
In its report, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, chaired by BJP member Bhubaneshwar Kalita, asked the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) for urgent action to restore its essential funding for nuclear research and ensure uninterrupted progress in India’s nuclear energy and medical applications.
The DAE told the committee that it had sought a budgetary allocation of Rs 43,41.55 crore for 2025-26 but was allocated Rs 37,482.93 crore in the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1.
“The committee, therefore, strongly recommends immediate action to restore essential funding, support nuclear research, and ensure uninterrupted progress in India’s nuclear energy and medical applications,” according to the report, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The DAE told the committee that the substantial reduction in budgetary allocation would slow down activities related to basic research and derail the progress achieved over the years, shaping up into technologies over a considerable period of time.
According to the report, while the DAE outlined strategies to mitigate the impact of budget shortfalls, the risks posed by inadequate funding remained significant.