Applications and technology of electron beam accelerators

Traditionally, accelerators have been employed for pursuing research in basic sciences. But over the last couple of decades their uses have proliferated into the applied fields as well. The major credit for which goes to the electron beams. Electron beams or the radiations generated by them are being extensively used in almost all the applied areas. This article is a brief account of the impact made by the accelerator based electron beams and the attempts initiated by DAE for building a base in this technology. (author)