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India and UAE MoU for Nuclear Cooperation

Last updated on September 10th, 2024 Posted on September 10, 2024 by NEXT IAS Current Affairs Team  302

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

  • India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for civil nuclear cooperation.

About

  • During the 2015 visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE, both countries had agreed to cooperate in “peaceful use of nuclear energy”, including in areas of “safety, health, agriculture, and science and technology.” 
  • The agreement is part of the UAE’s policy of expanding investments into the nuclear energy sector.
  • LNG Supply: Apart from the nuclear cooperation-related MoU, the two sides signed an MoU for long-term LNG supply between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited. 

India’s Civil Nuclear Cooperation

  • Civil nuclear cooperation involves collaboration between countries or organizations to develop and use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
    • It can encompass a variety of activities, including: Energy Production, Regulatory and Safety Standards, Nuclear Fuel Supply, and Non-Proliferation Efforts.
  • India’s civil nuclear program is aimed at harnessing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, primarily electricity generation, and other applications. 
  • India has Nuclear cooperation with France, Russia, U.S.A and Japan.

Related Agreements

  • Indo-U.S. Nuclear Deal (2005): The deal was instrumental in improving India’s access to global nuclear markets. 
  • Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with the U.S. (2008): It allowed India access to civilian nuclear technology and fuel from the international market.
    • This agreement required India to separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities, with the civilian facilities subject to safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Key Reactors and Projects:

  • Major nuclear power plants in India include those located in Tarapur, Kudankulam, and Rajasthan. 
    • These facilities play a significant role in India’s nuclear energy production.
  • Fast Breeder Reactors: India is developing advanced nuclear reactors, such as Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs), which use plutonium to generate more fuel than they consume.
  • Thorium-Based Reactors: India has a long-term vision of utilizing its abundant thorium resources in nuclear reactors.
    • The country is working on thorium-based reactors, including the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR), as part of its three-stage nuclear program.
India’s Nuclear Weapon Program
– Smiling Buddha: In 1974, India conducted its first nuclear test code-named “Smiling Buddha, and since then, it has developed a nuclear triad consisting of land-based, sea-based, and air based delivery systems. 
– Operation Shakti: In 1998, India conducted a series of nuclear tests at Pokhran, codenamed “Operation Shakti.”
1. These tests included both fission and fusion devices and marked India’s formal entry into the nuclear weapons club.
– International Criticism: The international community has criticised India’s nuclear weapons programme, particularly the United States and its allies. 
– No First Use: India has a “no first use” policy, meaning it pledges not to use nuclear weapons first in a conflict but reserves the right to retaliate if attacked with nuclear weapons.

Brief overview of the UAE and India relations 

  • Political : India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) established diplomatic relations in 1972.
  • Multilateral Cooperation: India and the UAE are currently part of several plurilateral platforms such as I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA) and UFI (UAE-France-India) Trilateral, etc. UAE was also invited as a Guest Country to the G-20 Summit
  • Economic & Commercial: India UAE trade, valued at US$ 180 million per annum in the 1970s, is today US$ 84.84 billion making UAE, India’s third largest trading partner for the year 2021-22 after China and US.
    • Moreover, UAE is the second largest export destination of India (after the US) with an amount of nearly US$ 31.61 billion for the year 2022-23.
    • The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed in 2022 as a major step in deepening trade relations.
  • Defence cooperation: It  is steered through a Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) at the Ministry level, with the signing of Agreement on Defence Cooperation in 2003, which came into effect in 2004.
  • Space Cooperation:  Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the UAE Space Agency signed an MoU regarding cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes in 2016.
  • Indian Community: Indian expatriate community of approximately 3.5 million is the largest ethnic community in UAE constituting roughly about 35 percent of the country’s population.

Source: TH

 
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