INDO-US Nuclear Deal

Energy being an engine of economy, plays a crucial role in achieving economic targets of India. Increasing energy both quality and quantity wise, with sustainable development, is the major challenge before India. Nuclear energy being environment friendly , seems to be an optimal option to India to face its challenges.
India is not the signatory of non-proliferation treaty. This prevented India from receiving any assistance from any of the major nuclear powers and also from a 45 member Nuclear Supply Group [NSG]. With this isolation and less uranium reserves in the country , only 3% of energy has been added to total energy by nuclear sources.
With these concerns, India moved on for a bilateral agreement with United States of America for civil nuclear co-operation between two countries. This agreement caused wide spread alarm and opened a debate on the agreement in all fields- Academic, Politics, Economic and at all levels- local , national, international.
The US president signed the Henry. J. Hyde US –India peaceful atomic energy co-operation act of 2006. This act was an amendment to the 1954 US atomic energy act, allowing the US president to enter into a bilateral agreement with India on civilian nuclear co-operation. This act contained provisions which were not in favor of India. Viz suspension of US co-operation if India conducts nuclear test in future, active participation of India to isolate Iran etc.
With negotiations from India side, US signed 123 agreement , which stipulates that a bilateral agreement has to be reached before the US could co-operate with any other country in the nuclear field.
Some of the highlights of Indo-US 123 agreement are.
a) Civil nuclear co-operation covering supply of nuclear fuel, nuclear reactors etc.
b) Development of strategic reserve of nuclear fuel by India.
c) Provision of reprocessing of spent fuel.
d) Right of USA to require India to return nuclear material of equipment in case of cessation of co-operation.
e) Non-Interference with India’s indigenous nuclear power program.
f) No explicit restriction on India’s right to conduct nuclear tests in future.
g) A provision of termination of agreement by either country with one year’s notice.
This agreement, when it comes in to force, will break three decade old isolation of India from international nuclear co-operation. India can import nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel from other countries also , if India succeeds in amending NSG guidelines in favour of it. Our nuclear public sector units also can acquire stakes in global natural uranium mines . This makes India to supply fuel not only with improved quality but also at lower prices. India can also improve ties with foreign nuclear players and will be capable of exporting its indigenous PHWRs to small nations like Thailand, Cambodia etc. The above concerns , make India to double it’s nuclear power generating capacity.
Even though India succeeded in getting maximum favour from US , India needs to address some issues before entering into the agreement.
Nuclear energy, though releases less amounts of green house gases, is an unrealistic solution to reduce global warming , because the construction and process of generating power takes much time. The cost of constructing the same will also be high. To reduce global warming by nuclear energy, it is estimated that a new nuclear plant has to be constructed every week. with this in view, India needs to depend along with the nuclear energy, more on other energy sources which are cheap and have immediate impact on environment and global warming.
India needs to develop safeguard measures of the nuclear program . The world has witnessed some terrible nuclear accidents like Chernobyl incident. Leakage of radiation from nuclear plants covers huge damage to life and property. Also, with growing terrorism , these nuclear plants may become their future targets of attack.
India needs to protect it’s independent foreign policy. Some believe that India voted against Iran at IAEA meeting, which affected relations with Iran, due to pressure from USA. we should give priority to energy independence over energy security , built on foreign sources. Hence, we should speed up the process of developing Thorium based nuclear power technology , as we have sufficient thorium recourses.
There are many people who differ with the technicalities in some provisions of the agreement. The right to reprocess is given only in-principle and it also does not provide for full civil nuclear co-operation, since the reprocessing, environment technology will not be transferred.
Nothing can be perfect. There will be some pros and cons. N-Deal with US exhibits results in a long run. With all these flood of ideas in it’s view, India should move forward with Indo-US nuclear deal. By keeping it’s foreign policy independent, India should view nuclear power as a voiable supplement of fossile fuel generated power but not as an alternative to the latter.

Cheyutha Supports Nuclear Deal with US.

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