Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
Despite this work on nuclear safety and security, India has come to international attention with respect to nuclear security standards. The main reason for this attention is that India has been reluctant to give details of its nuclear security policies and practices. This extreme secrecy has damaged India’s reputation. Beyond international concern, India itself should be concerned about such matters because of its ambitious plans to expand nuclear power domestically. This will probably involve the private sector at some point and such participation would be improved if India provided details about its rules and regulatory mechanisms.
This concern about India’s nuclear regulation is not just a matter of for the international community. India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has been critical of the relationship between the Indian Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and the Indian Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). Several studies have emphasized that India needs to be more effective in managing this relationship in order to improve its own security practices and improve its international standing.
The Indian government has also recognized the need to deal with this issue. In September of 2011, the government of Manmohan Singh introduced the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority (NSRA) Bill in an attempt to create a more independent nuclear regulatory agency. Unfortunately, after three years, not action had been taken and the Bill was dropped. It was hoped that the Modi government would reintroduce the NSRA Bill and get the debate going again. However, there has been no action on this issue to date.
The NSRA Bill is very important because it would be a vast improvement when compared to the current AERB regulatory framework. The Bill would create a Council of Nuclear Safety (CNS) with the Prime Ministry as the head of the Council. Although there are critics of the NSRA Bill, its adoption would be an important sign that the Modi government is dedicated to having a real independent nuclear regulator. The Bill would also be important with respect to reactor operation because it would implement more stringent auditing practicing. In terms of appearances, it would be better for the Indian agency promoting nuclear energy to be entirely separate from the Indian agency regulating nuclear energy.
This should not be difficult for India because it has already operationalized and implemented many essential components that would be necessary to assure this separation whether addressing physical protection, nuclear transportation or insider threats. However, India needs to formalize these changes in new nuclear legislation in the Parliament. This would improve its own credibility and operational practices. India should also take its international reputation more seriously in order to improve its case with global nonproliferation platforms such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Finally, India needs to accept that no country on Earth has a completely fool-proof mechanism. India should not be so defensive about its nuclear security policies and practices. India has a good nuclear security and safety record that it can promote which could be a good model for other to copy.
India’s is obviously uncomfortable with publicizing its nuclear security successes and challenges. It needs to engage with the global nuclear community even though such candor can interfere with India’s attempts to improve nuclear security approaches. A first step that would improve the current situation would be to restart the NSRA debate in the Parliament. It would also make available a new opportunity for India to improve its status since the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) has ended.