India has placed ten of its nuclear reactors for review by the International Atomic Energy Agency as per the safeguard agreement reached with the United Nations monitoring body.
"In accordance with the Separation Plan, so far, ten nuclear power reactors have been placed for review under the agreement between the government and the IAEA, for the Application of Safeguards to Civilian Nuclear Facilities signed in February 2009," Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan informed Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
India signed the key safeguards agreement with the IAEA -- to allow the inspection of additional civilian reactors -- to clear the decks for the supply of atomic fuel and technology by the international community.
Chavan said the agreements between India and various countries, on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, were to be implemented as per agreed terms and "no hurdles were foreseen in their implementation".
On the progress of talks between India and the United States on nuclear fuel reprocessing, he told the Lok Sabha, "India agreed to establish a new national reprocessing facility dedicated to reprocessing safeguarded nuclear material under IAEA standards."
"Article 6(iii) of the Agreement for Cooperation calls for consultations on agreements and procedures within one year," the minister said. In March 2009, he said, the US responded to India's request, invoking Article 6(iii) on arrangements and procedures, confirming that the first round of formal consultations would commence no later than August 3, 2009 and that final agreements and procedures would have to be reached on or before August 3, 2010.
"The text has been finalised in the last round of negotiations (between India and the US) held between March 2 and March 4 this year," Chavan said.
