Nuclear technology in Medical Sector:

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is expanding peaceful nuclear applications in medicine and agriculture. In the medical sector, DAE’s BARC produces radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals supplied via BRIT for cancer diagnostics and therapy, including indigenous ligands such as 177Lu‑PSMA‑617 and 68Ga‑PSMA‑11. Facilities like the Radiation Medicine Centre (Mumbai) and Radiation Medicine Research Centre (Kolkata) provide diagnostic and therapeutic services. DAE also manufactures ~18 cold kits for Technetium‑99m and has developed a synthesis protocol for affordable 99mTc‑MIBI. In agriculture, DAE has created 72 radiation‑induced crop varieties with traits like higher yield and climate resilience, and promotes food irradiation (42 facilities) to extend shelf life and meet export standards, supported by incentives under the PMKSY scheme.