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India is now better positioned to collaborate internationally and step up climate—friendly nuclear power
generation than ever before, following ratification of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC)
for Nuclear Damage. The CSC was adopted on 12 September 1997, together with the Protocol to Amend the
Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, and entered into force on 15 April 2015. It aims at
increasing the amount of compensation available in the event of a nuclear incident through public funds to be
made available by the Contracting Parties on the basis of their installed nuclear capacity and UN rate of
assessment. It also aims at establishing treaty relations among States. However, supplier's concerns on the
extent of their liability in case of an accident would be finally settled once the Supreme Court gives its verdict
on a challenge to India's civil nuclear liability law pending before it, supplemented with questions that should
be posted on different contingencies. The fine print of the law has effectively prevented us from stepping up
investment in nuclear power for over five years. While the lndo—US nuclear deal of 2008 was indeed
path-breaking, ending as it did India's veritable global isolation in the domain of nuclear and, more broadly, a
range of dual—use technologies. India's subsequent nuclear liability law of 2010 was seen by several potential
overseas suppliers as being out of sync with global norms. Our now ratifying the Convention on
Supplementary Compensation, which provides clear—cut norms and parameters on a nuclear operator's
financial liability, should provide much—needed investor comfort for foreign suppliers. India did sign the
convention back in 2010, but its ratification has taken longer than warranted. Fortunately, there has been
progress in nuclear cooperation of late. There's now far better access to nuclear fuel from abroad, and plans to
set up several new plants with suppliers from the US, Russia and France are reportedly well advanced. We
must leverage our diplomatic skills and international goodwill to gain access to the Nuclear Suppliers‘ Group
without further delay. With promising developments in fusion energy, being part of the international effort to
harness nuclear energy is of vital importance. Indian equipment makers and suppliers could reap scale
economies and standardise vital parts and components, which, in turn, would bring down costs and keep the
price of nuclear power attractive. Nuclear energy has to play its role in contributing to growth without
greenhouse gas emissions. The fine print of the law has effectively prevented us from stepping up investment
in nuclear power for over five years. While the Indo—US nuclear deal of 2008 was indeed path—breal<ing,
ending as it did India's veritable global isolation in the domain of nuclear and, more broadly, a range of
dual —use technologies.