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Chennai: The Union govt on Wednesday informed Lok Sabha that security assessments are conducted periodically at all nuclear power plant sites by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and “external govt agencies.”In a written reply to Congress MP Manickam Tagore, minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said the plants also conduct internal security assessments. “The observations made are reviewed, monitored and necessary upgrades are carried out for compliance,” he said.Tagore had sought details of third-party security audits at nuclear plants, including Kudankulam, and measures to counter threats from drones, cyberattacks and sabotage. He asked whether any foreign or suspected state-sponsored cyberattack attempts had been detected during the past three years.The National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements urged the Union govt recently to constitute a commission of inquiry to investigate the alleged leak of files related to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. The statement comes in the wake of a ransomware group reportedly publishing hundreds of files linked to the Kudankulam plant which are said to be highly sensitive.The govt did not directly disclose whether any such foreign or state-sponsored attempts had been detected. It said cybersecurity at nuclear installations was accorded the “highest priority”, with continuous monitoring and surveillance mechanisms in place. Preventive measures include access controls, regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, incident-response mechanisms and capacity-building programmes. It cited CERT-in’s (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) role in issuing alerts and advisories, coordinating responses to cyber incidents and operating the National Cyber Coordination Centre.On physical security, Singh said nuclear power plants were equipped with perimeter intrusion-detection systems, access controls, CCTV surveillance and X-ray baggage inspection facilities. The AERB conducts regulatory inspections covering nuclear security.Singh said regulatory-approved emergency preparedness plans were in place at every nuclear power plant, including Kudankulam. Exercises involving local administration, security agencies and plant authorities are conducted periodically, and feedback is used to revise and strengthen preparedness plans.
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Tabletop, Integrated Command, Control and Response (ICCR) exercises are held once every two years. Mock exercises are organised according to the National Disaster Management Authority’s schedule. An ICCR exercise was conducted at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant on April 15, 2025.The govt said all other nuclear power plant sites had conducted their latest ICCR exercises since Sept 2024. At Kalpakkam, an off-site emergency exercise involving the district administration, was conducted on July 17, 2026, with an initiating event from the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor.
