Date:17/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/17/stories/2007111761021400.htm

Front Page

Positive step: nuclear scientists

Mumbai: Nuclear scientists on Friday welcomed the government decision to approach the International Atomic Energy Agency for safeguard talks, after the green signal by the Left, as a positive step towards international cooperation.

The government could now apply for formal discussions with the IAEA on India-specific safeguards for its future civilian nuclear power plants so that an agreed text could be prepared as early as possible, according to Department of Atomic Energy officials.

As the country is already having ‘item-specific’ (for facility and for material) safeguards which are generic in nature, India-specific safeguards for all its civilian nuclear plants (as per the separation plan) could be on the same lines, say the officials who do not want to be quoted.

Under IAEA safeguards

All future civilian nuclear plants could be placed under the IAEA safeguards mechanism almost on a par with that for the five declared nuclear powers.

Without creating India-specific safeguards, they could in all probability be placed under the Agency’s safeguards system called Information circular (INSCIRC) of 1966, according to IAEA sources.

This is in contrast to INSCIRC 153, which is meant for nations which signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty and non-weapon countries.

That means India can benefit from the safeguards mechanism which is reactor-specific and utility-specific and will be closer to the five nuclear weapon (P-5) countries and not as a non-weapon state.

This could be essentially on the same lines of the safeguards arrangement made between India and the IAEA for the two units of the Tarapur atomic power plant set up in 1969 and two units in Rajasthan in 1971.

Asked how long the process would take to make the agreed text and the final text on safeguards for future civilian nuclear plants, A.N. Prasad, former director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, and IAEA special envoy, said the main agreement should not be very difficult.

“But since India has to island our strategic programme, we should insist on Hybrid Safeguard Arrangement.” — PTI