India has strongly
protested against the role played by the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) as it has not done much to encourage the transfer of technology
from advanced nations to support the growth of the nuclear power generation
industry in developing and less developed countries.
India's Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar told a conference
in Beijing recently that IAEA spent 55 percent of its resources on nuclear
verification and administration while paying much less attention to
issues like transfer of technology through technical cooperation among
nations and issues relating to fuel cycle.
"Surely, this is unacceptable," Kakodkar said while pointing
out that India has always given highest importance to the International
Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles, which was established
under the IAEA in 2001. "INPRO's purpose is to bring together technology
holders and users to ensure that nuclear energy is available to contribute
to the energy needs of the 21st century," he added.
Kakodkar said the world is at the cross-roads when it came to meeting
the growing demand for alternative energy and in dealing with fears
relating to safety, security and nuclear proliferation.
"While institutional controls through national and international
frameworks are essential, they, by themselves, are unlikely to be able
to cope up with these concerns particularly in the context of large
scale nuclear power needs," he said.
Fears concerning safety and proliferation was delaying the deployment
of nuclear power and thus posing an even greater danger by dividing
the world between energy haves and have-nots, he said.