Status of India-based neutrino observatory project

Abstract

We discuss the current status of the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) proposal to setup an underground laboratory in India and to construct a 50 kton magnetized iron calorimeter (ICAL) detector for observing atmospheric neutrino interactions. We give a brief description of the detector and discuss its physics motivations. The charge identification capability of ICAL would make it complementary to large water Cerenkov and other detectors world wide. The status of the design of the magnet, the construction of the prototype detector and the development of glass resistive plate chambers (RPC) are presented.