Atoms in the Service of the Nation expo

Atoms in the Service of the Nation, an exhibition on how nuclear science is used in energy, healthcare and research, opened at Kottayam Science City in Kerala on 30 October 2026 and runs until 1 November, PIB said.

Atoms in the Service of the Nation: Dignitaries light the lamp at the inauguration in Kottayam — Dignitaries light the lamp at the inauguration in Kottayam Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

What Atoms in the Service of the Nation shows

The exhibition is organised jointly by the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum (KSSTM), Kottayam Science City and the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, which comes under the Department of Atomic Energy. It aims to make students, teachers and the public aware of India’s achievements in nuclear science and technology. Through models, displays and teaching exhibits, visitors can see the science and engineering behind the country’s nuclear programme. PIB said exhibits cover reactor technology, nuclear fuel systems, radiation and its uses, advanced engineering and the role of nuclear research in national development.

Key Facts

Exhibition: Atoms in the Service of the Nation
Venue: Kottayam Science City, Kerala
Dates: 30 October to 1 November 2026
Timings: 10 am to 5 pm; entry free
Organisers: KSSTM, Kottayam Science City and IGCAR Kalpakkam

Nuclear science models from IGCAR

The displays include models and components of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) and the KAMINI reactor. Information on types of radiation and on nuclear technology in healthcare is also on show. Kerala’s Minister for Irrigation and Housing, Mons Joseph, inaugurated the exhibition, and Uzhavoor Block Panchayat President Bindu Surendran presided. KSSTM Director Jaimon Jacob welcomed the gathering, and IGCAR Director Sreekumar G. Pillai gave the special address. Local public representatives and other dignitaries also attended, the release said. IGCAR, located at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, is the Department of Atomic Energy centre that leads India’s fast breeder reactor research. KAMINI is a small research reactor at Kalpakkam, and the PFBR is the prototype for the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear power programme.

Visitors look at the exhibition panels Photo: PIB (Government of India, free to use with credit).

Homi Bhabha anniversary and visiting hours

PIB noted that the exhibition opened on the 117th birth anniversary of Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha, widely regarded as the architect of India’s nuclear programme. The organisers said the occasion is a reminder of the part played by scientific research and home-grown technology in the country’s progress. The exhibition is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day until 1 November, and entry is free. School groups and families in central Kerala can use the last two days to see reactor models that are rarely shown outside research centres. The models give visitors a sense of how a reactor core, its fuel and its safety systems fit together. Teachers can use the displays to explain the difference between the heavy water reactors that produce most of India’s nuclear power today and the fast breeder reactors being developed for the future.

Why It Matters: It gives students a rare close look at India's reactor technology, including the fast breeder programme, free of cost.

Source: PIB: Exhibition at Kottayam Science City · IGCAR Kalpakkam · Department of Atomic Energy