Nuclear and Thermal Power Plants of India — List with PYQs

Power plants are a two-line question in almost every paper — a plant is named and you give its state, or a "first" or "largest" is asked. The list splits neatly into nuclear and thermal, and about twenty-five names cover everything examiners use. This post gives both lists state-wise, the founding facts of India's nuclear programme that repeat every year, and 15 real questions from past papers.

1. The nuclear programme — founding facts

Two pairs from this table repeat constantly. Apsara was a research reactor, not a power station — Tarapur was the first power station — and options place the two together. And the two Pokhran tests carry their code names: Smiling Buddha (1974) and Operation Shakti (1998).

2. Nuclear power plants — state-wise

Three facts get asked on their own. Tarapur is the first, Kudankulam is the largest and the Russian-collaboration plant, and Kalpakkam is the indigenous-technology answer. For upcoming capacity, Gorakhpur in Haryana (GHAVP) and the planned Jaitapur project in Maharashtra appear in current affairs sections.

3. Major thermal power stations — state-wise

Thermal plants burn coal, gas or oil, and coal-based stations dominate India's generation. These are the names exams use.

Three answers repeat from this table. Vindhyachal is India's largest thermal power station. Singrauli was NTPC's first super thermal project. And Neyveli is the lignite answer — whenever a question says lignite, the answer is Neyveli in Tamil Nadu.

NTPC itself is asked directly: established in 1975, it is India's largest power generator, and its Maharatna status appears in options.

4. Quick context — how India's electricity splits

One background fact frames this topic: thermal sources produce the majority of India's electricity, with coal alone accounting for the largest share, while nuclear power contributes only a small percentage of the total. Renewable capacity has grown fastest in recent years, which is why current affairs questions increasingly name solar parks alongside these classic plants. For the exact current shares, check a recent Economic Survey summary rather than memorising a dated figure.

The regulatory names attached to this topic: the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) oversees nuclear safety, NPCIL operates nuclear plants, and NTPC leads thermal generation.

5. How it is asked in exams — 15 PYQs

1. India's first nuclear power station is? — Tarapur, Maharashtra (SSC CGL 2023)
2. Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is in which state? — Tamil Nadu (SSC CHSL 2023)
3. Kudankulam was built with the collaboration of which country? — Russia (SSC MTS 2023)
4. Who is called the father of India's nuclear programme? — Dr Homi J Bhabha (RRB NTPC 2024)
5. India's first research reactor was? — Apsara (1956) (SSC CGL 2022)
6. India's largest thermal power station is? — Vindhyachal, Madhya Pradesh (SSC GD 2024)
7. Rawatbhata nuclear plant is in which state? — Rajasthan (SSC CHSL 2024)
8. Neyveli power station uses which fuel? — Lignite (SSC CPO 2023)
9. India's first nuclear test in 1974 was code-named? — Smiling Buddha (RRB Group D 2024)
10. Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant is in which state? — Karnataka (SSC MTS 2024)
11. Which body operates India's nuclear power plants? — NPCIL (SSC CGL 2024)
12. Kakrapar nuclear plant is in which state? — Gujarat (RRB NTPC 2025)
13. BARC is located at? — Trombay, Mumbai (SSC GD 2023)
14. The 1998 Pokhran tests were code-named? — Operation Shakti (SSC CHSL 2022)
15. Narora Atomic Power Station is in which state? — Uttar Pradesh (RRB Group D 2023)

6. Quick Revision

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is India's first nuclear power plant — Apsara or Tarapur?

Tarapur in Maharashtra, commissioned in 1969, is India's first nuclear power station. Apsara, which started in 1956 at Trombay, was Asia's first research reactor — it produced neutrons for research, not electricity for the grid. Exams place the two together precisely to test this distinction.

Why is Kudankulam special among Indian nuclear plants?

It is India's largest nuclear power plant and the one built with Russian collaboration, using VVER pressurised water reactors, on the coast of Tamil Nadu. When a question mentions Russia or the largest capacity, Kudankulam is the answer; when it mentions indigenous technology, the answer shifts to Kalpakkam.

Which is the largest thermal power station in India?

Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station in Madhya Pradesh, operated by NTPC, is India's largest thermal power station. Among private-sector plants, Mundra in Gujarat is the name exams use. NTPC's first super thermal project was Singrauli in Uttar Pradesh, which is asked as a separate fact.

What were the Pokhran test code names?

The 1974 test was code-named Smiling Buddha, making India the first country outside the five recognised nuclear powers to conduct a nuclear test. The 1998 series of five tests was Operation Shakti, after which India declared itself a nuclear weapons state. Both were conducted at Pokhran, Rajasthan.

How many questions come from power plants in exams?

Usually one per paper in SSC and Railway exams — either a plant-state match or a first/largest fact. About twenty-five plants plus the nuclear programme's founding facts cover nearly everything, and only the current-affairs edge of new units changes over time.

For more Static GK lists in simple language, see our ISRO Missions and Milestones post and the Static GK section. Preparing for a specific exam? Start with the RRB JE guide or join the 100 Hour GS Course.