Year
2011
Abstract
In 2005, India and the United States of America announced the creation of a framework for mutual cooperation in nuclear energy to meet the challenges of energy security and protection of the environment. In the India-US Joint Statement of 18 July 2005, India stated its willingness to identify and, in a phased manner, to separate its civilian nuclear facilities and programmes from its military ones; the so-called Separation Plan. India proposed that 14 power reactors, either in operation or under construction at that time, along with facilities at the Nuclear Fuel Complex at Hyderabad, would be offered for IAEA (Agency) safeguards between 2006 and 2014. To put this Separation Plan into effect, a safeguards agreement for the application of safeguards to civilian nuclear facilities was negotiated between the Agency and India (INFCIRC/754) and entered into force on 11 May 2009. Negotiations on the Subsidiary Arrangements General Part to the Agreement started shortly thereafter. As of June 2011, the implementation of the Separation Plan was ahead of schedule and the negotiations of the Subsidiary Arrangements were continuing. This paper addresses the challenges faced by the Agency and India and outlines the actions taken in the implementation of the safeguards agreement and the associated Separation Plan. It focuses particularly on procurement and installation of the necessary safeguards equipment at the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors; the agreement on safeguards approaches; and the increase in inspection effort at a time when the Agency?s regular budget is under pressure.