Government of India has approved a project to build the India-based Neutrino Observatory

The Government of India has approved a project to build the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) at Pottipuram in the Theni District of Tamil Nadu. Briefly, the project aims to set up a 51000 ton Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector to observe naturally occurring atmospheric neutrinos in a cavern at the end of an approximately 2 km long tunnel in a mountain. This will help to reduce the noise from cosmic rays that is ever present over-ground and which would outnumber the rare neutrino interactions even in a detector as large as ICAL.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2019

The INO project does not disturb the ecosystem around the site and does not release any radiation, as it does not have any radioactive substance. It measures cosmic rays.

There is no other neutrino detector anywhere in India at present. ICAL at INO would be the first of its type.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

What is the aim ?

The main aim of the project is to set up a 51000 ton Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector 
The detector is placed to observe naturally occurring atmospheric neutrinos at the end of an approximately 2 km long tunnel in a mountain.
It is the first neutrino detector in India.
This will decrease the noise from cosmic rays that is ever-present over-ground and will outnumber the rare neutrino interactions even in a detector as large as ICAL.
It will measure cosmic rays and neither release any radiation nor radioactive substance.