What are the various aspects of Indo-US nuclear deal?

In July 2005, then USA President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a joint statement resolving to establish a global partnership between the two countries through increase cooperation on numerous economic, security and global issues. In this joint statement, the Bush Administration clubbed India a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology and vowed to achieve full civilian nuclear energy cooperation with India.

The joint statement also acknowledged that India’s nuclear programme has both a military and a civil component. Both sides agreed that the purpose was not to constrain India’s strategic programme but to enable resumption as full civil nuclear energy cooperation in order to enhance global energy and environmental security.

Such cooperation was predicted on the assumption that any international civil nuclear energy offered that any international civil nuclear energy offered to India in the civilian sector firstly should not be diverted away from civilian purposes and secondly should not be transferred from India to third countries without safeguards.

Under the Indo-US nuclear deal the United States has conveyed its commitment to the reliable supply of fuel to India. Consistent with the July 18, 2005, joint statement, United States have also reaffirmed its assurance to create the necessary conditions for India to have assured and full access to fuel for its reactors.

The United States also willing to incorporate assurances regarding fuel supply in the bilateral U.S- India agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy under Section 123 of the U.S.

Atomic Energy Act United States also assured to join India in seeking to negotiate with the IAEA, an India specific fuel supply agreement. United States has also promised to support an India effort to develop a strategic reserve of nuclear fuel to guard against any disruption of supply over the lifetime of India’s reactor.

Despite of these arrangements, if a distruption fuel supplies to India occurs, the United States and India would jointly convince a group of friendly supplier countries such as Russia, France and the United Kingdom to pursue such measures as would restore fuel supply to India. According to the deal India will have to place its civilian nuclear facilities under India-specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA.

Under the nuclear safeguard provisions India will have to list out the civilian nuclear reactor, only those offered for safeguards that after separation will no longer be engaged in activities of strategic significance. However, facilities will be excluded from the civilian list if it is located in a larger hub of strategic significance.

Thus, a civilian facility therefore would be one that India has determined not to be relevant to its strategic programme.

Taking the safeguard into account India will offer 14 thermal power reactors by 2014. This will include the presently 4 safeguard reactors i.e., TAPS 1& 2, RAPS 1 & 2 and in addition KK 1 & 2 that are under construction.

Apart from it, others pressuries heavy water reactors each of a capacity of 220 MW, will also be offered. The phasing of specific nuclear thermal power reactors, being offered for safeguards would be indicated separately by India There are many advantages of nuclear deal, such as: i

(i) Presently our uranium reserve is very low but we have enough deposits of thorium in the world which is capable of generating 3,00,000 mw of electricity for 300 years. At the same time we lack technology to capitalize on the thorium resources. Hence the deal is expected to provide technology as well as supply of uranium for future reactors through the member of Nuclear Supplier Groups

(ii) Radioactive spent fuel is temporarily stored in special ponds and in reprocessing of it, Uranium and platinum are separated. Since spent fuel is 96% of its original uranium and hence the recovered uranium can be returned for subsequent enrichment. India would be eligible to buy United States dual use nuclear technology, including materials and equipment that could be used to enrich uranium and reprocess spent fuel.

(iii) In India nuclear wastes are sealed into steel canisters to be burried in stable rock structures deep underground and India is still to find a permanent site to dispose of the nuclear waste that is generated in the country. Thus, advanced technology through deal will help India in radioactive waste management.

(iv) By getting the reprocessing right of nuclear fuel India hopes to get the recognition of nuclear power state.