US panel backs India nuclear deal

[Abhiman]

Re: US panel backs India nuclear deal

Well actually Pakistan first said that it deserves the same deal. When it did not get one, its PM said that this deal is “dangerous for the NPT”. When the US did not relent, again Pakistani spokesperson has said that Pakistan also wants a similar deal.

I mean like if this deal is so bad, then why does Pakistan also want it ?

@Man with a Plan

Nuclear-generated electricity accounts for 3 percent of India’s energy consumption. If the plans for India’s Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) go along as planned—they will fall far short of their projections—then, by 2025, nuclear energy will account for, at most, 8-10 percent of India’s energy consumption.

I agree that by 2020, only 8-10 % of India’s energy supply will be by nuclear means, but the foundation for that must be made right now because :-

1. It takes 6-7 years to construct one nuclear reactor.

2. Negotiations for the supply of uranium from the NSG do not happen in days or weeks. It takes deals like this one to do so.
   India proposed this deal in 2003. An agreement was signed in July 2005 for agreeing to discuss this. When Bush came in 2006, the deal was signed. Now it has to be passed in Congress. Then each NSG member has to be convinced to pass it in the NSG.
   All this will take upto 2007. Supply of the fuel will begin only by 2007. Supply of any technology will probably begin much later.

The only disadvantage of this deal is that India does not get official recognition as a nuclear-weapon state, like the one China got when it signed the NPT in 1992 or the PNC agreement it signed with the US a few years prior to that.