India wants full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as the current arrangement with the elite club carries “attendant risks”, the government told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Minister of Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh said in a written answer that the “waiver” that the NSG gave India “has an element of unpredictability”.
“India is currently engaged in nuclear trade with international partners based on a waiver from the NSG in 2008. The waiver is in the form of a concession without according India the status of a full member and therefore has an element of unpredictability and attendant risks in the long run for India’s long-term nuclear power programme,” said Mr. Singh.
The government’s statement is significant as it is the first time that it has declared the waiver in such terms. The statement prompted former Indian ambassador to the U.S. Shankar Bajpai to question the government’s position. “Our interests were met by the waiver from the NSG which has helped us conduct nuclear trade with other nuclear powers,” said Mr. Bajpai and added, “full membership of NSG is a matter of prestige and not a matter of benefit.”
However, Mr. Singh sought to highlight that membership of NSG would help India access the nuclear supply chain with ease.
“Full membership of the NSG would enable India to have enhanced and predictable global access to nuclear technology, fuel, materials and components required for our expanding civil nuclear programme. It would advance energy security, contribute to India’s growth strategy based on clean energy to combat climate change, and strengthen global nuclear non-proliferation,” said Mr. Singh.
Earlier this year, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh had updated Parliament about the waiver without referring to it in terms of risk or unpredictability.
Consensus decision
“The NSG took a consensus decision in September 2008 to permit its members to engage in civil nuclear cooperation with India despite India not being a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” Mr. V.K. Singh had told the Lok Sabha on May 4.
In 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had described the same as a “momentous” decision which would end India’s “isolation” in the global energy market.
India has been trying to upgrade the “waiver” into a full member status and the government accordingly made two attempts this year to become member of the elite organisation. India has been engaging nuclear energy producing countries in civil nuclear deals since getting the waiver.
Mr. Bajpai cautioned that criticising the waiver may not help India engage nuclear powers. “There is no hope for getting NSG membership in the near future as the Chinese have not changed their position,” he said.
The NSG will take up India’s membership issue at its next plenary session in June 2017.
Published - December 15, 2016 12:27 am IST
