🌟 NEWS MAKER — MAY 1, 2025

Igniting the Future: World’s Largest Fusion Project Hits Milestone with India at Core

🪷 THEME: Global Scientific Collaboration, Clean Energy Innovation, Nuclear Fusion
🏛️ CATEGORY: Science & Technology, Climate Solutions, India in Global Research

📜 INTRO WHISPER
In the south of France, beneath layers of steel, magnet, and hope, humanity builds a second sun — not to burn the Earth, but to light it forever. And among the wires and cryogenic veins, India’s fingerprints are etched in every curve of this colossal dream.

🔍 HIGHLIGHTS

• Major Fusion Milestone:
  The world’s largest fusion reactor, ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), has completed its main magnet system, a breakthrough in building a carbon-free energy future.
• India’s Vital Role:
  India is one of seven core members and has built the 30-meter cryostat, cryolines, cooling systems, and parts of the plasma heating system — all crucial to the success of the Tokamak reactor.
• Magnet Power:
  The Central Solenoid, built in the U.S., will be strong enough to lift an aircraft carrier and drive superheated plasma at over 150 million°C — ten times hotter than the Sun’s core.
• Energy Potential:
  ITER aims to generate 500 MW of fusion energy from 50 MW of input, achieving a burning plasma state — a self-sustaining reaction without radioactive waste.
• India’s Contributions:
  • Cryostat chamber (world’s largest vacuum insulation vessel)
  • In-wall shielding & cryolines for superconducting cooling
  • Heating and water systems to stabilize plasma temperature
• A Global Mission:
  Spanning 30+ nations, ITER is described as “the embodiment of hope”, overcoming political divides for a shared sustainable future.

🧭 GS PAPER MAP

• GS III: Science & Technology – Developments in Nuclear Energy, Fusion Research
• GS II: International Relations – India’s Role in Global Scientific Collaborations
• GS III: Environment – Alternative Energy, Climate Change Mitigation

🪔 A THOUGHT SPARK — by IAS Monk

To make a star on Earth is to touch the edge of the impossible — and then shape it into promise. In the coils of ITER lies not just power, but proof — that when nations build together, they can ignite more than energy… they can ignite trust.