Civilian facilities are for research in basic science: AEC Chairman

Mumbai, Mar 9 (UNI) Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr Anil Kakodkar today said nine research facilities which India has identified for declaring as civilian '' are engaged in research in basic science'' and hence '' are safeguard-irrelevant'' in the context of the nuclear understanding the country has signed with the United States on March 2.

'' Most research facilities are engaged in (research) in basic science... no strategic research is being carried (out) nor we intend to carry stratgic research (and hence) there is no question of any diversion from civilian (research) facilities,'' Dr Kakodkar told a media conference here this evening.

The nine research facilities India will declare as civilian as per the seperation plan are Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Institute for Plasma Research, Institute of Mathematics Sciences, Institute of Physics, Tata Memorial Centre, Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology and Harish Chandra Research Institue.

Asked if there are going to be '' internal firewalls'' in these research facilities, the AEC Chairman said '' There is no question of firewalls... we will identify the civilian nuclear facilities and then place them under IAEA safequards''.

Asked if inspections of the civilian nuclear facilities by the U N watchdog would hinder India's research and development ( R&D ) efforts, Dr Kakodkar replied in the negative, adding IAEA inspectors have already been examining nuclear plants in Tarapore and Rajasthan but these nuclear thermal power plants have been working at over 90 per cent capacity.

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