From October 15-17, the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) partnered with the Indian National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) to conduct a core-group discussion meeting titled, “Human Reliability Program (HRP) for Industries of National Importance.” The meeting took place at the NIAS campus in Bengaluru, India, and was led by NSSPI Director and Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering Dr. Sunil Chirayath and NIAS TV Raman Pai Chair Professor Dr. M. Sai Baba. This meeting was the second in a series of HRP meetings organized by NSSPI and NIAS and supported by the US Department of State’s Partnership for Nuclear Threat Reduction.
The main objective of the meeting was to discuss among Indian experts the various elements of HRP and specific implementation needs in India given the Indian cultural and societal context. The meeting also aimed at identifying good practices in safety and security with respect to HRP and the challenges for implementation.
The 21 attendees included participants from the Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the various units of the Indian Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), six different Indian universities, and two Indian non-DAE research centers (the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses Delhi and NIAS Bengaluru). A majority of the participants made presentations on HRP based on their experience of HRP in their respective positions.
The meeting concluded with a panel session discussion of HRP in India in which experts representing the various groups of participants—industry, government, academics, and researchers—responded to questions prepared from the first two days of deliberations. A second discussion of the core group is planned for spring 2020.
