There are many people who believe that India may be better off without the N-deal with USA in its present form. A news item below throws up some issues.
The N-deal, which has been linked to the energy security of the coutry, cannot be visualised to provide such a security if we look at the Planning Commission report on integrated energy policy. The projected requirement of electricity generation capacity by 2031-32 is about 950,000 MW as compared to the present capacity of about 126,000 MW. Out of the total requirement nuclear industry is expected to c0ntribute only about 3%. The question to ask is whether this small capacity is worth the huge expenditure, and risks: political, economical and environmental?
Is it not better to prefer to stand on our own legs with dignity by becoming self sufficient in all technological and economical needs? No country can hope to attain energy security or food security by hoping to import considerable quantities on a continuous basis. If we continue to be as profligate with energy as we are today, and blindly go for large scale industrialisation just for the sake of higher GDP growth rate, we will never be able to meet our growing energy demand. Instead, shall we not look at learning to manage the legitimate and economical requirements of energy within our own means? It is heartening to note that there are techno-economically viable means to achieve this. But we do not seem to have the necessary political level. I wonder what can private citizens like us can do to take this issue to a higher level of attention. --------------------------------------------------- India might walk out on N-deal
Washington, pti:
Further delay in the congressional approval of a legislation to implement the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal could prompt New Delhi to walk out of the agreement, an American newspaper has warned...
Further delay in the congressional approval of a legislation to implement the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal could prompt New Delhi to walk out of the agreement, an American newspaper has warned.
“Some supporters of the US nuclear technology deal with India are cautioning that any more delays in the congressional approval of the White House’s agreement could prompt New Delhi to walk out of it,” The Hill, a newspaper which covers congressional affairs, said in a write-up.
“The White House had pushed for a vote in the Senate on the legislation needed to start implementing the deal by the end of last week, but partisan squabbling delayed passage until after the midterm election,” it said. “If that is not done by the end of the year, legislation will have to be marked up again in a new Congress next year, perhaps controlled by the Democrats in either or both chambers,” it added.
“We could have acted on this bill a long time ago, yet we were unable to do so because of serious objections from the Republican side of the aisle,” said Jim Manley, who is the chief of staff for Minority leader Harry Reid.
