The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has requested a budget of Rs 32,342 crore for fiscal year 2022-23.

The DAE has requested a financial allocation of roughly Rs 32,342 crore, up from the revised projections of about Rs 31,301 crore, in a demand for grants submitted to Parliament as part of the budget papers.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd would receive Rs 7,288.77 crore, the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd will receive Rs 12.35 crore, and the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI) will receive Rs 272 crore under the DAE.

The allocation for the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is estimated at Rs 2,918 crore and for Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at about Rs 510 crore.

The Ministry of Science and Technology, which has been conducting trials on DNA vaccine till now for the nasal Covid vaccine, has been allotted Rs 6,000 crore, of which the Biotechnology department received Rs 2,581 crore, which is the nodal department on the vaccine development front.

Union Science and Technology Minister, Jitendra Singh, said that a small Ministry like Earth Sciences has been allocated a budget of Rs 2,653.51 crore, which is in addition to Rs 4,000 crore allocated earlier for the Deep Ocean Mission.

This only indicates Prime Minister Narendra Modi's belief that the economy of future India is going to be dependent on ocean and sea resources, he added.

Singh said that if one was to explain the General Budget 2022-23 in a single sentence, it would be appropriate to say that this is a "futuristic Budget with scientific vision and startup incentives".

India looks forward to a crucial decade ahead, which will primarily be determined by two factors -- economy, and science, technology and innovation, he added.

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Singh recalled Modi's concern about climate change expressed in COP-26 and pointed to a reference on Tuesday's Budget speech to low carbon development strategy.

He said that the Ministry of Science and Technology has been given a boost by the Prime Minister in carrying forward the Hydrogen Mission.

The emphasis on drones, including "Drone Shakti" through startups and utilisation of 'Kisan Drones' in the agriculture sector are bound to give India a headway over other countries of the world, the Union Minister added.

For promotion of startups, the Union Budget provides for export and domestic production incentivisation, Singh said.

Welcoming the development, R.G. Agarwal, Group Chairman of Dhanuka Agritech Ltd, said, "The government's focus on augmenting and promoting usage of drones for various farm activities, including crop assessment etc., would immensely help the agriculture sector. It would have been apt had the Union Finance Minister also reduced GST and customs duty so that overall cost is reduced."