India signs nuclear safeguards agreement with IAEA

India today signed a nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), allowing the UN nuclear watchdog inspect 14 of its 22 civil nuclear reactors and thereby opening the way for nuclear commerce with the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Club, including the United States.

The agreement for the 'Application of Safeguards to Civilian Nuclear Facilities' was inked in Geneva by IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei and Indian ambassador Saurabh Kumar.

This clears the decks for supply of atomic fuel and technology by the international community after a 34-year-old nuke trade embargo was lifted last year.

According to India's separation plan (civilian and military) unveiled in 2006, a total of 14 reactors, including the six which are already under IAEA safeguards, will be placed under India-specific safeguards by 2014.

The Department of Atomic Energy will file a declaration to the IAEA on which facilities would be placed under safeguards and in what time frame.

The safeguards agreement, however, has to be ratified by the Indian government before it can use the pact to import nuclear reactors and fuels.

India has already signed agreements with the US, France, Russia and Kazakhstan and is planning to sign with Canada for resumption of nuclear commerce.