A tonic for atomic: Reforms package can provide a turning point in India’s nuclear energy programme

Indo-US nuclear deal — especially expanding atomic power through foreign and private collaboration — in deep freeze is positive. But it has also put the spotlight on one of the most coveted, yet closed, spaces of India's security system: the atomic energy establishment.

What this budget set rolling is just the beginning of a series of crucial decisions that could necessitate the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to make a fundamental shift in its approach. Which is why it may not be an easy path ahead.

The first decision relates to management of the nuclear fuel cycle. At present, the entire cycle from mining the ore, obtaining nuclear fuel, to electricity production and then waste management is under DAE's strict control. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) ensures safety oversight in a tightly controlled affair monitored by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

The reform idea is to separate the power production stage in the cycle and open it up for private players. In practical terms, fissionable material remains in DAE's control until it enters the reactor in the power plant. Following the controlled chain reaction, nuclear waste returns to DAE control.

In other words, risk of radioactive material being pilfered or falling into the wrong hands is minimal since DAE would still have control at the entry and exit points of the reactor. This way, power production and facility's operation can be in private hands. Safety of radioactive nuclear material is a core DAE responsibility. For that purpose, it has