India widens uranium sourcing to fuel nuclear expansion
India is diversifying uranium imports from Uzbekistan, Australia and Canada under the 2008 NSG waiver that permits its civil nuclear trade.
What is happening
India is expanding uranium sourcing from partners including Uzbekistan, Australia and Canada to fuel its growing nuclear power programme.
This diplomatic push follows the 2008 waiver granted by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which allowed India to trade in civil nuclear material and technology despite not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
India remains outside full NSG membership, which requires consensus among all member states.
Key facts
| Topic | India widens uranium sourcing to fuel nuclear expansion |
| Syllabus | GS Paper 2 / Paper 3 - International Relations / Science and Technology |
| Places | India |
| Keywords | uranium, Nuclear Suppliers Group, NSG waiver, civil nuclear trade |
UPSC / KPSC relevance
Prelims
Remember: uranium; Nuclear Suppliers Group; NSG waiver; civil nuclear trade. Expect a statement-based or match-the-following question on this.
Mains
Use as an example in GS-2 answers (GS Paper 2 / Paper 3 - International Relations / Science and Technology). Frame: issue → provision/policy → implication → way forward.
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Can you answer this?
With reference to India's civil nuclear trade, consider the following statements: 1. India is a full member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). 2. Under a 2008 waiver, India can import uranium and nuclear technology for civilian use despite not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: B — India is not a full member of the NSG, whose membership requires consensus, but a 2008 NSG waiver allows it to trade in civil nuclear material despite being outside the NPT.
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Sources
Government and official releases; PIB; The Hindu; Indian Express. Curated and verified by Topper IAS editorial.