New Delhi, (IANS) : Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh on Sunday said Indias nuclear programme has made rapid strides since Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed his government in May 2014.

“With direct and personal patronage from the Prime Minister, India is now among the frontline nations in its nuclear programme. In the years to come, nuclear energy will be a major source of power for India’s growing needs,” he said during a visit to the ‘Hall of Nuclear Power’ set up at Pragati Maidan here.

“The union government can clearly take the credit for bringing the nuclear programme to north India. It is during the last two years that a nuclear plant has been set up north of Delhi at Gorakhpur village, in (Fatehabad district of) Haryana,” he said.

Similarly, he said, the government was considering setting up more nuclear installations in other northern states like Punjab and Uttarakhand.

He said India’s claim to membership of NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) is increasingly being accepted by the world nations.

The concept of setting up the ‘Hall of Nuclear Power’ in Delhi, the Minister said, was inspired by the realisation that the Department of Atomic Energy did not have its headquarters here and most of its activities were confined to the western and southern parts of India.

As a result, the Minister said, not much was known about the department in this part of the country.

On the occasion, Singh directed the officers accompanying him to send circulars to educational institutions across the country to ensure that visits to the ‘Hall of Nuclear Power’ were made a mandatory component of their Delhi itinerary during educational and other tours.