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Russia, USA, keen to sell nukes to India – but not to pay for accidents

US diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would be a “disaster” for US companies if the Indian Bill insisted on large foreign supplier liability.

Russia says no to supplier liability, Business Standard, Jyoti Malhotra / New Delhi August 24, 2010, Even as political acrimony over the Nuclear Liability Bill rages in and outside Parliament, India’s old-time friend Russia has clearly told the Indian establishment that it will not accept any liability for the supply of equipment and other material to help India build its nuclear power plants, either in the present or future….. Continue reading

August 24, 2010 Posted by | India, politics international | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Japan warns India against nuclear weapons testing

Japan should stop working with India on atomic energy if it conducts nuke tests,  The Mainichi Daily News, 24 Aug 2010, During negotiations on a bilateral civil nuclear pact, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told his Indian counterpart that Tokyo will immediately discontinue its cooperation with India over atomic energy technology if it conducts a nuclear test…….India conducted nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998. Cooperation with any country like India on atomic energy could make the NPT a dead letter and give Iran and other countries that are suspected of developing nuclear weapons even though they are parties to the treaty an excuse to develop nuclear arms…………Japan should stop working with India on atomic energy if it conducts nuke test – The Mainichi Daily News

August 24, 2010 Posted by | Japan, weapons and war | , , | Leave a comment

Conflict of interest in regulation of Atomic Energy in India

the provisions of the Bill will unduly favour the foreign suppliers of nuclear equipment…..Like IAEA, Indian the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is dependent on the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) whose mandate is charged with promoting nuclear power in India……

India’s Sham Nuclear Liability Bill, By Toxic Watch, 22 August, 2010, Countercurrents.org “….Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and ex-officio Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, one of the drafters of the Bill is guilty of ignoring the consequences of possible nuclear disaster because his text has privatized profits and made liabilities public. Continue reading

August 23, 2010 Posted by | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | , , , | Leave a comment

Safety dangers in Taiwan nuclear power plant

The nuclear plant, in Kungliao, Taipei County, on the country’s north coast, has a decades-long history of problems.

Taipower faces fine over fourth nuclear plant: AEC – Taiwan News Online, 23 Aug 2010, Taiwan Power Corporation was facing a fine over its fourth nuclear plant even before it had started official operations, the Atomic Energy Council said yesterday. Continue reading

August 23, 2010 Posted by | safety, Taiwan | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Obama’s visit to India panicking Indian govt over Nuclear Liability Bill

According to the new draft, an Indian operator of a nuclear supply can sue the supplier only if the supply in question was made with the intent of causing nuclear damage.……As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is keen on the passage of the bill before US President Barack Obama’s visit to India, the government will take a call on the issue in the next two days.

BJP to oppose diluted Nuclear liability bill – The Economic Times, 23 August 2010, NEW DELHI: With the Cabinet diluting the right to recourse of the operator to sue the supplier in the event of a nuclear accident, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) once again moved into the ‘nay-sayer’ column and vowed to defeat the civil nuclear liability bill in Parliament….. Continue reading

August 23, 2010 Posted by | India, politics | , , , | Leave a comment

Grave risks of earthquakes and floods in a nuclear powered India

the disaster management structure in the country, as per his opinion, is not well tailored in meeting radiological fall out and more unfortunate to mention that even educated section of the people is not well aware about the implications of a serious nuclear disaster.

India’s Sham Nuclear Liability Bill, By Toxic Watch, 22 August, 2010, Countercurrents.org “…….The Bill remains silent on the grave issues raised by Prabeer Kumar Basu, Secretary, Agriculture who mentioned before the Committee that the disaster management structure in the country is oriented in such a manner that emergencies arising out of floods, earthquakes and droughts could be managed in an efficient manner.

However, on the other hand, unfortunately the disaster management structure in the country, as per his opinion, is not well tailored in meeting radiological fall out and more unfortunate to mention that even educated section of the people is not well aware about the implications of a serious nuclear disaster.

He therefore, felt that more public awareness needs to be built in respect of nuclear disaster and its hair-raising impact on biological population. He further pointed out that as a consequence of a nuclear disaster of the Chernobyl type, it is quite possible that agricultural crops around 30 to 100 kms. from the site of the incident could be wiped out total………

Further revealing the criminal negligence of the drafters of the Bill, Prabhat C Chatirvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment while referring to Clause 5 (1)(i) which provides for non-liability of operator for any nuclear damage arising out of a grave natural disaster of an exceptional character pointed out that grave natural disaster should not include earthquakes or floods. He advised the Committee that if nuclear plant is placed in a seismic zone, it should be properly designed to withstand earthquake of severe character.
India’s Sham Nuclear Liability Bill By Toxic Watch

August 23, 2010 Posted by | India, safety | , , , , , | Leave a comment

India gets nuclear submarine from Russia

Russian nuclear submarine leased to India -reports, MOSCOW, Aug 20 (Reuters)  by Dmitry Solovyov – Russia has handed a new nuclear-powered submarine over to India for a 10-year lease, Russian news agencies reported on Friday, two years after an accident during testing killed 20 people.The Nerpa, under the command of an Indian crew, left its base on Russia’s Pacific coast earlier this week, bound for an Indian naval base, Interfax news agency quoted a source in Russia’s military-industrial complex as saying.Citing a source in Russia’s Pacific Fleet, RIA news agency said the submarine was manned by a mixed Russian-Indian crew…………India, Russia’s close economic and political partner since Soviet days, accounted for a quarter of Moscow’s arms exports last year, according to estimates by the Centre for Analysts of Strategies and Technologies, a Moscow-based defence think-tank. Russian nuclear submarine leased to India -reports | Reuters

August 21, 2010 Posted by | India, politics international | , , , | Leave a comment

Pakistan’s 125 nuclear weapons at risk from terrorists and U.S. drones

it was a most dangerous situation for the nuclear weapons holder countries if they were dealing with terrorist activities in their territories and unfortunately, Pakistan was one of them, so such threats did exist

US drones could be harmful for Pakistan’s nuclear programme: seminar, Daily Times, 20 Aug 2010, LAHORE: Nuclear issues expert and the director of the Ali Institute of Education, Dr AH Nayyar has expressed fear that US drone attacks could prove harmful for Pakistan’s nuclear programme and its nuclear installations placed at undisclosed locations… Continue reading

August 20, 2010 Posted by | Pakistan, safety | , , | 1 Comment

Security of Pakistan’s nuclear sites; OK says Pakistani Army

Pakistan Army Spokesman: Nuclear Installations Are Safe From Floods, The MEMRI Blog, 20 Aug 2010, Pakistani Army spokesman Maj.-Gen. Athar Abbas has said that Pakistan’s nuclear installations do not face any danger from the country’s worst floods, according to a Pakistani website.The website of the Dawn newspaper quoted Abbas as saying: “All our nuclear and military installations have remained safe and there is no further danger from flooding.” In recent years, Western nations have expressed concerns over the security of Pakistani nuclear sites.

The MEMRI Blog – Full Blog Entry

August 20, 2010 Posted by | environment, Pakistan | , , , | Leave a comment

Impact of radiation on workers ignored in India’s Nuclear Liability Bill

In its haste to introduce the N-liability bill, the government ignored the health ministry

(India) Nuclear liability bill silent on impact of radiation on plant workers, Daily News and Analysis, (DNA)  , Aug 19, 2010, By Vineeta Pandey | One basic problem with a nuclear installation is radiation, which affects the health of workers at the plant and the people living around it. Yet this factor has been completely ignored in the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill. Continue reading

August 19, 2010 Posted by | health, India | , , , , | Leave a comment

India’s govt makes several changes to the Nuclear Liability Bill

it [ The Indian Government]has been keen that a liability law is in place ahead of  U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to India in November. .

Amended Bill blocks private role in nuclear power – India – The Times of India, 18 Aug 2010, NEW DELHI: The government has ensured a safe passage for the civil liability for nuclear damage bill after sealing a deal with BJP on Tuesday by agreeing to bump up the “no-fault” liability from Rs 500 crore to Rs 1,500 crore and a guarantee against private firms running nuclear power plants. Continue reading

August 18, 2010 Posted by | India, Legal | , , , , | Leave a comment

Many in India not happy with U.S-India Nuclear Deal

The wages of the nuclear deal The N-deal has turned out to be what the US mandated, not what the Prime Minister had assured India, livemint.com, Brahma Chellaney, 15 Aug 2010,  “…. the final deal ends up giving the US specific rights—enforceable through the pain of unilateral suspension or termination of cooperation—while saddling India with obligations. Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | India, politics international | , , , | Leave a comment

How come USA will let Vietnam enrich uranium?

The Shotgun: Filibuster: The first nuclear commandment, Western Standard, 15 Aug 2010, In a story that did not get a lot of press this week, the Obama administration has announced that it plans to go ahead with a nuclear technology deal with the Communist nation of Vietnam, despite that country’s refusal to make a pledge to not enrich uranium. Continue reading

August 17, 2010 Posted by | politics international, Vietnam | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Little chance of Indian govt passing Nuclear Liability Bill

Desperate govt reaches out to Left. Indian Express.com, 16 Aug 2010, Keen to push through the nuclear liability Bill in the ongoing session of Parliament, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday reached out to the Left to build a consensus on the contentious Bill.

However, given the Bill is crucial to implementing the India-US nuclear deal, which they had unsuccessfully tried to block, there is little chance of the Left parties coming on board.
At the meeting, CPM’s Sitaram Yechury and CPI’s D Raja listed the Left’s four objections to the Bill. Its primary concern is that it virtually exempts foreign suppliers from any liability in case of an accident — this, Left leaders say, was done at the instance of the US…… Desperate govt reaches out to Left

August 17, 2010 Posted by | India, politics | , , , , | Leave a comment

India’s nuclear power system to be entirely State run

No private players in nuclear power sector: Chavan,  Hindustan Times, Press Trust Of IndiaNew Delhi, August 13, 2010 Keeping in abeyance suggestions of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, government ton Friday said it has no intention to allow private sector to set up nuclear power plants independently. “At this stage, government does not intend to change the related provision of the Atomic

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Energy Act, 1962 for private participation in setting up of nuclear power plants,” Minister of State in PMO Prithviraj Chavan told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

No private players in nuclear power sector: Chavan – Hindustan Times

August 14, 2010 Posted by | India, politics | Leave a comment