Question : Building Nuclear Reactors with Foreign Assitance

(a)whether as a result of the Prime Minister''s initiative, considerable interest is being evinced by Japan and America in building nuclear reactors in India and if so,the details thereof;

(b)whether there is any proposal to award contracts for building six big nuclear reactors in India to the US giants, the General Electric and Westinghouse and if so,the details thereof;

(c)whether Japan is poised to build for India a nuclear park, which is a major paradigm policy shift for the country and if so, the details thereof; and

(d)whether India is subscribing to insurance against nuclear liability and if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR, PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER''S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

(a) & (b) During the visit of the Prime Minister of Japan to India (December 12, 2015), the two sides exchanged a Memorandum, as per which both sides confirmed having reached agreement on an Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

Under the framework of the India-US ‘123’ Agreement of 2008, commercial talks are currently ongoing between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) and the relevant US companies with regard to the construction of nuclear power reactors at Mithi Virdi (Gujarat) and Kovada (A.P.).

(c) The civil nuclear cooperation Agreement with Japan, when concluded, may facilitate the expansion of civil nuclear energy in India through the construction of Light Water Reactors in order to meet India’s clean energy needs.

(d)In order to cover risks pertaining to civil nuclear liability under the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, a financial risk-based-management mechanism, the India Nuclear Insurance Pool (INIP) was launched in June 2015. Insurance schemes have been devised under the INIP for the nuclear operator (NPCIL) and for nuclear suppliers, both domestic and foreign.

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