For servicing a nuclear power programme over an extended period of time, it would be essential to have national capabilities in a number of technical and operational management areas beyond conventional engineering. Some of the technical areas are reactor physics, reactor chemistry, radiation protection, management of reactor core, management of spent fuel, reactor control and management of radioactive waste arising from reactor opera­tion. Examples of operational management areas are development of tech­nical specifications for operation and operational procedures including those for upset conditions and for accident management, configuration control of the plant and various administrative procedures for round-the — clock operation of the NPP. Technical capabilities are also necessary for carrying out thermal hydraulic analysis, ageing assessment of systems, struc­tures and components and probabilistic safety assessment. National capa­bilities in these fields can be developed by getting personnel trained abroad in theory as well as in operation of a nuclear power plant of a design similar to the one envisaged to be established in the country. A good method could be to begin with setting up a research reactor and getting personnel trained in this facility first.