TODAY'SPAPERNATIONAL

Published:April1,201500:00IST|Updated:April1,201505:53IST
MUMBAI,April1,2015

AERBshouldgetregulatoryindependencebylaw
AlokDeshpande
UPAgovt.hadmadeabeginningbyintroducingaBillinLokSabha,butitlapsed
ThedraftreportsubmittedbytheIntegratedRegulatoryReviewService(IRRS)oftheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)after
reviewinglegalandregulatoryframeworkrelatedtothesafetyofnuclearpowerplantsandprojectswithinIndia,hasrecommended
regulatoryindependencetotheAtomicEnergyRegulatoryBoard(AERB)bylaw.
ThepreviousUnitedProgressiveAlliance(UPA)governmenthadintroducedaBillintheLokSabhatograntregulatoryindependencetothe
AERBfollowingtheFukushimanucleardisasterinJapan.However,followingthegeneralelectionandconstitutionofnewtheLokSabha,the
Billlapsedandneedstobeintroducedagain.
TheBoardisfunctionallyindependentfromtheDepartmentofAtomicenergy(DAE)aswellasfromtheinfluenceoflicensees,buttheres
scopeforstrengtheningthatindependencebyenactinganAct,saidS.S.Bajaj,Chairman,AERB,whileaddressingapressconferenceat
AnushaktiBhavaninMumbai.
Amongotherrecommendations,thereporthasaskedtheCentralgovernmenttopromulgateanationalpolicyandstrategyforsafetyand
radioactivewastemanagementstrategy.
TheAERBisworkingonastrategytosegregatehighlevelradioactivewastetomakeitbenignsooner.
InIndia,werecyclethespentfuelandprocesstheplutoniumandothermaterialandreusethem.Theremainingradioactivewaste,mainly
theactinides,isvitrifiedandstoredatsafestorage.Wearenowworkingonfurthersegregatingtheseminoractinides,mainlyresponsiblefor
thelongshelflifeoftheradioactivewaste,sothattheremainingwastewillbecomebenigninthreehundredyears,makingstorageeasy,
explainedMr.Bajaj.
Thereport,whileacknowledgingIndiascomprehensiveandwellestablishednationaleducationalandtrainingsystemthatsupports
competencebuildingforitsnuclearprogramme,hasalsosuggestedanumberofvitalinitiativestotheAERB.
IRRS,apeerreviewserviceofIAEA,madetherecommendation
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