Safeguards agreement

·         On July 10, 2008 GoI unveiled the text of safeguards agreement reached with the IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

·         The 25-page document seeks to open to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 14 of India’s 22 nuclear reactors for inspection.

Mission IAS’2009

·         On July 9, 2008 IAEA spokesperson Melissa Fleming revealed that  draft nuclear safeguards accord from India with the International Atomic Energy Agency has been given to board of governors for approval

·         And on July 9, 2008 Atomic Energy chief Anil Kakodkar came to the defence of UPA led GoI to blunt strident demand of Left for releasing nuclear safeguards text being negotiated with IAEA, saying the draft cannot be made public until it is finalised.

·         Under the agreement, India will place its civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards

·         The agreement also mentions that India will have to separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities.

·         India will also have continuous access to fuel supplies.

·         The agreement envisages support for Indian effort to develop a strategic reserve of nuclear fuel to guard against any disruption of supply over the lifetime of India's reactors.

·         India may take corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted operation of its civilian nuclear reactors in the event of disruption of foreign fuel supplies.

·         The safeguards pact, which is the next step in the operationalisation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, was sent to the 35-nation Board on a day when the Left parties formally withdrew their support from the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government.