A study by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) researchers, published in Current Science, indicates that HALEU-Thorium fuel, proposed as a way for India to utilize its thorium reserves, is unsuitable for the country's existing nuclear reactors and its three-stage nuclear program. The evaluated fuel composition, ANEEL, mixes thorium with high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and is being explored by NTPC, Ltd. and Clean Core Thorium Energy. Computer modeling by K.P. Singh, Amit Thakur, and Anurag Gupta revealed that while HALEU-Thorium offers a significantly higher burn-up of 50 GWd/t compared to natural uranium's 7 GWd/t, leading to 7x less spent fuel, it poses challenges. These include potential wear on refueling machinery due to longer fuel dwell times, a 26% reduction in the effectiveness of current shutdown rods because thorium aggressively absorbs neutrons, and severe economic penalties during an estimated 7-10 year stabilization period. Furthermore, HALEU-Thorium produces substantially less plutonium, which is crucial for India's second stage of nuclear energy development.