Kalpakkam, September 4
India said today that it was the “duty” of the USA to convince the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) under the civil nuclear deal to provide it with nuclear fuel and light water reactors and ensure “clean, unconditional exemptions” for trade in the atomic field with New Delhi.

“India is also engaged with the 45-nation grouping to persuade it to change rules and allow the international community to have nuclear commerce with it,” Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar said here.

“No post and pre-conditions should be laid and there is a need for clean, unconditional exemptions from NSG guidelines on the import of nuclear reactors,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a graduation function at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Academic Research at Kalpakkam, 75 km from Chennai.

He was responding to a query on NSG guidelines that restrict the export of reactors by members of the grouping, including the USA, France, Russia, Australia and Japan.

Reacting to US under secretary of state Nicholas Burns’ remarks that it was up to India to convince NSG members to provide it nuclear fuel and light water reactors, he said: “It was the duty of the USA to do so in the wake of the nuclear deal recently clinched with America.”

Commenting on the deal and the possible US restrictions on nuclear tests by India, Kakodkar said: “We have to look at Indian interests and should be able to carry out our strategic programmes. The ultimate goal of the Indian nuclear programme is to move from uranium to thorium for producing energy,” he said.

To a question on the need for such a deal, Kakodkar said that though India was self-sufficient in the nuclear arena, it was “ looking at other alternatives too”.

“Eight reactors have been approved in-principle, which will come up at four locations across the country,” he pointed out.

The ultimate goal of the Indian nuclear programme is to move from uranium to thorium for producing energy, he said.

By 2050, nuclear energy will constitute 2,74,000 MW or 20 to 25 per cent of India's power production, he said.

Earlier, 20 trainees who graduated from the first batch of the one-year orientation course for engineering at IGCAR were presented certificates and medallions by J.B. Joshi, director of Mumbai's University Institute of Chemical Technology. — PTI