, Columnist
An Indian Nuclear Reactor Milestone Proves Doubters Wrong
This nuclear reactor in Kalpakkam is different.
Photo: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images
Anyone who’s ever dealt with it has a long list of complaints about the Indian state. They will point out that it rarely invests in long-term solutions, and doesn’t seem capable of world-class infrastructure or supporting cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs.
Sometimes, the doubters are wrong. This month, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a locally designed and built nuclear reactor had reached criticality — meaning that its internal chain reaction was now self-sustaining — he was right to say that it was a tremendous achievement.