India is planning a 15-fold increase in its civilian nuclear power programme in the next two decades, the UN's nuclear watchdog said on Thursday. In its latest report titled 'Year in Review 2008', the International Atomic Energy Agency said while no new reactors came online anywhere last year.
Is the military junta in Myanmar trying to acquire a military nuclear capability with North Korean assistance? Or is North Korea trying to shift some of its nuclear facilities to Myanmar to protect them from a possible attack by the US?
Notwithstanding the Left parties' threat to the government not to carry forward the safeguards talks with IAEA beyond December, India opened the second round of discussions with the nuclear watchdog.
Playing down the fresh ultimatum from Communist Party of India-Marxist to end negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency on the Indo-US nuclear deal by this month-end or risk early polls, Congress on Monday noted that the talks could even be over by the year-end.
The Act will allow the two countries to share civilian nuclear technology and bring India's civilian nuclear program under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The IAEA is developing a concept whereby countries that establish nuclear power plants with an assurance that they will not proliferate will get an 'assurance of fuel supply' for their reactors from the agency.
The NFUP smacks of an extremist version of masochism. It's tantamount to: You, there, c'mon clobber me, but if you leave me alive I'll disembowel you!
Endorsing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurance to the country that the agreement would not in any way affect the strategic nuclear programme, Sonia said from the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, their policy was one of self-reliance.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's mood is "upbeat" after the Left parties gave the green signal to the government to approach the International Atomic Energy Agency for safeguard talks in connection with the Indo-US nuclear deal, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan said on Friday night.
In a major breakthrough in the nuclear deal standoff, the Left parties on Friday relented and gave clearance to the government to approach the International Atomic Energy Agency for working out an India-specific safeguards agreement.
Ahead of the crucial Left-United Progressive Alliance committee meeting in Delhi on Friday on the Indo-US nuclear deal, the outside supporters of the Centre, after allowing the government to approach the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Thursday said they did not want the agreement to be operationalised at any cost.
The Left-UPA committee, that has been constituted to look into the apprehensions voiced by the Left Front, is likely to meet on November 18. In the meeting, the Left Front may clear the government's move to approach the international atomic watchdog but without committing anything in writing, Left sources said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during a luncheon meeting with Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan last week, had sought their nod for the government to approach the IAEA.
Racing against time, the government made the attempt during a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and top Left leaders Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan in the presence of United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
"This cooperation can only help strengthen the strategic cooperation between our two countries," the letter signed by the eight lawmakers said.
Iran has threatened to review its economic and political relations with the countries that voted for the referral to UNSC.
Ambassador Ronen Sen has said that India's decision has been based on independent assessments.
Pakistan's Islamic alliance condemned the decision by the referral of Iran's nuclear programme to the UN Security Council.
The Netherlands, a key member of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group, has said that the export of nuclear goods for peaceful purposes to India was in conformity with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The country has also expressed its readiness to consider any proposal in this regard. However, Netherlands said that it was awaiting the finalisation of the agreement between India and the IAEA and it will formulate its final position after careful analysis of the pact.
With India virtually putting on hold its civilian nuclear agreement with the United States, Australia has decided to review its plans to sell uranium to New Delhi. Efforts for a US-India nuclear pact, which would open India to IAEA, paved the way for Australia's uranium deal with India. Following reports that the negotiations for the operationalisation of the Indo-US deal have been stalled, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia will need to consult New Delhi.
Amid increasing uncertainty over the India-United States civilian nuclear agreement, a senior International Atomic Energy Agency official has said that nuclear energy is the way forward for the booming economies of India and China. The growth of nuclear power in China and India over the next two decades will outpace other countries, said Yury Sokolov, deputy director general and head of the Department of Nuclear Energy, IAEA.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to brief United States President George W Bush on the developments about the India-United States nuclear agreement in the wake of stiff opposition by the Left parties. In his telephonic conversation, Singh is likely to apprise Bush about the hurdles faced by his government in taking the next steps to operationalise the deal. The Left parties have repeatedly threatened the govt of grave consequences.
Pakistan is prepared to accept all IAEA safeguards for peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The crucial meeting of the United Progressive Alliance-Left committee on the India-United States nuclear deal was held in New Delhi on Tuesday, amidst and divergent views expressed by both sides on the issue that further fuelled speculation about mid-term polls.
UN atomic energy chief Mohammed El-Baradei began a three-day visit to India as the ruling United Progressive Alliance-Left alliance appeared headed for a break-up over the India-United States civil nuclear energy pact.
The United Progressive Alliance-Left stand-off on Indo-US nuclear deal notwithstanding, the Indian Atomic Energy department is holding consultations with International Atomic Energy Agency for working out a safeguards agreement.
Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, for the second successive day at a Washington, DC, news conference said that if she returns to power she would make available Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan to the IAEA.
Benazir, who pledged to turn over A Q Khan to IAEA if she comes to power, also called on the US to fund international monintoring team to make sure Musharraf doesn't rig the elections.
Buoyed by the International Atomic Energy Agency's approval of the India-specific safeguards pact, the US on Sunday vowed to push through expeditiously the Nuclear Suppliers Group process but said New Delhi would have to answer a lot of questions to secure a waiver from the 45-nation bloc when it meets later this month.
The ominous explanations of some of the NSG countries in the Board should alert to the perils ahead.
A supporter of the N-deal gives a chilling insight into the deep conviction of the group of nuclear deal supporters in market economy and their unwavering faith in the inherent strengths of India.
At a press briefing at Washington DC's National Press Club on the eve of the IAEA board of governors meeting, nonproliferation experts called on the NSG not to reach a consensus on the accord, since it was 'seriously flawed and would undermine the professed objectives of the NSG'
Now that the United Progressive Alliance coalition has nine months in office, it must be transparent and accountable to those who pay and elect it to serve the people of India. A single mis-step on the 123 could irreparably damage rather than advance India's national interest
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