There has been a huge story developing in the world of International Politics and Relation over the last couple of weeks - Australia's ruling party's (The Labor Party) decision to sell Uranium to India.
India currently faces a large energy deficit with still around 80,000 villages across the country with no electricity. Industrial growth has been limited due to paramount dependency on traditional sources of electricity generation - Thermal and Hydel Power. This has slowed down Industrial growth and hiked electricity rates across major towns and cities. India currently needs to expand its energy sector. As far as I recollect, India wishes to grow its nuclear power generation four times from its current levels - a major step towards attaining energy efficiency.
Australia has traditionally imposed a ban on Uranium sales to those states which had not ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) (like India) . However, Julia Gillard's government has taken a radical decision to establish stronger relations with "dynamic, democratic India". Australia is the World's 3rd largest exporter of Uranium.
Defending their change in stance, Gillard and her ministers have been quoted saying how India is a majorly developing economy and how there is no basis of denying Uranium exports to India, while China are also beneficiaries of Australian Uranium exports. The Australian Uranium Association has also given its full support to the change in policy decision. The only, absolutely invulnerable and non-threatening rider is that India uses the Uranium for purposes only for peaceful, energy developing purposes.
This comes of as an extremely good news for India. But there are still some hurdles on the way. Many experts view that any deal that India and Australia sign, will be very stringent and at least, be in line with the treaty already existing between Australia and China. But that's okay, given India meets most of the International standards and requirements set for handling nuclear material.
The only opposition seems to be the danger in nuclear energy creation, with Fukushima a case in point. However, this view is oblivious to the fact that India has a lot of area under Low and Very Low Seismic Activity zones, unlike Japan (all of Japan almost lies in very high seismic activity zone).
Other opposition comes from the fact that India has not ratified the NPT yet. However, India has its own valid and very justified reasons for not having done so. (You should probably read them up).
Amidst dwindling diplomatic relations between the two countries, due to the infamous 2009 attacks on Indian students in Australia, this move comes across as another opportunity for the two countries to strengthen relations, economic too, besides diplomatic. India and Australia have time and again gotten involved in joint military exercises, being the two major Naval powers in the Indian Ocean. Barack Obama has also come out speaking for such a deal.
Owing to my profound interest in that field, I was naturally drawn into the subject for the simple reason that, if India and Australia strike a deal on Uranium exports, it could give India self sufficiency in the energy sector and the opportunity to finally accomplish the dream of electrifying every village across the country. Energy self sufficiency will obviously translate into further Industrial development across the country. What remains to be seen is how India reacts to this opportunity.
India currently faces a large energy deficit with still around 80,000 villages across the country with no electricity. Industrial growth has been limited due to paramount dependency on traditional sources of electricity generation - Thermal and Hydel Power. This has slowed down Industrial growth and hiked electricity rates across major towns and cities. India currently needs to expand its energy sector. As far as I recollect, India wishes to grow its nuclear power generation four times from its current levels - a major step towards attaining energy efficiency.
Australia has traditionally imposed a ban on Uranium sales to those states which had not ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) (like India) . However, Julia Gillard's government has taken a radical decision to establish stronger relations with "dynamic, democratic India". Australia is the World's 3rd largest exporter of Uranium.
Defending their change in stance, Gillard and her ministers have been quoted saying how India is a majorly developing economy and how there is no basis of denying Uranium exports to India, while China are also beneficiaries of Australian Uranium exports. The Australian Uranium Association has also given its full support to the change in policy decision. The only, absolutely invulnerable and non-threatening rider is that India uses the Uranium for purposes only for peaceful, energy developing purposes.
This comes of as an extremely good news for India. But there are still some hurdles on the way. Many experts view that any deal that India and Australia sign, will be very stringent and at least, be in line with the treaty already existing between Australia and China. But that's okay, given India meets most of the International standards and requirements set for handling nuclear material.
The only opposition seems to be the danger in nuclear energy creation, with Fukushima a case in point. However, this view is oblivious to the fact that India has a lot of area under Low and Very Low Seismic Activity zones, unlike Japan (all of Japan almost lies in very high seismic activity zone).
Other opposition comes from the fact that India has not ratified the NPT yet. However, India has its own valid and very justified reasons for not having done so. (You should probably read them up).
Amidst dwindling diplomatic relations between the two countries, due to the infamous 2009 attacks on Indian students in Australia, this move comes across as another opportunity for the two countries to strengthen relations, economic too, besides diplomatic. India and Australia have time and again gotten involved in joint military exercises, being the two major Naval powers in the Indian Ocean. Barack Obama has also come out speaking for such a deal.
Owing to my profound interest in that field, I was naturally drawn into the subject for the simple reason that, if India and Australia strike a deal on Uranium exports, it could give India self sufficiency in the energy sector and the opportunity to finally accomplish the dream of electrifying every village across the country. Energy self sufficiency will obviously translate into further Industrial development across the country. What remains to be seen is how India reacts to this opportunity.
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