India ratifies convention to address civil nuclear liabilities

New Delhi: In a significant move aimed at putting an end to the contentious nuclear liability issue and assuage suppliers' concerns, India has ratified the Convention of Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, marking an important step in addressing matters related to civil nuclear liabilities.

The move will help establish a worldwide liability regime of enhanced compensation for nuclear damages.

India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Vienna, Austria, Rajiva Misra, on Thursday handed over the Instrument of Ratification to Acting Director General of nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Juan Carlos Lentijo, official sources said. The Convention will come into force in India on May 4 this year, 90 days from the date of deposit of the ratification instrument.

Clauses under the Civil Liability Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act were major impediments in the progress of building reactors with US in India.

Following the discussions in the Contact Group between US and India last year, the idea of the India Nuclear Insurance Pool as a part of the overall risk management scheme for liability was also presented to Washington. Based on the presentations by the Indian side, and the discussion thereon, there is a general understanding that India's CLND law is compatible with the Convention of Supplementary Compensation (CSC). The Nuclear Insurance Pool was formed in June 2015.

Incidentally, of the three countries (US, France and Russia) with which India is collaborating for building reactors, it was the US that had pressed for ratifying the CSC.

The objective of the CSC is to establish a worldwide liability regime and to increase the amount of compensation available to the victims of nuclear accidents.