“(i) an estimate for the previous year of the amount of uranium mined in India; (ii) the amount of such uranium that has likely been used or allocated for the production of nuclear explosive devices; (iii) the rate of production of: (I) fissile material for nuclear explosive devices; and (II) nuclear explosive devices; and (iv) an analysis as to whether imported uranium has affected such rate of production of nuclear explosive devices.”

But “parity” it is!

And those are just the formal provisions of the Model Protocol applicable to Nuclear Weapons States. In practice, things are even more in their favour - they are, after all, the kartas of the IAEA.

Nuclear Weapons States accept only voluntary, revocable inspections — they can withdraw any civilian nuclear installation under safeguards at any time. Also there are no firewalls separating their civilian and military facilities: materials from the former make their way into the latter. Further, the number of facilities they have agreed to place under inspections is minimal. The total number of nuclear power reactors in P-5 is 217. Of these 217, just 11 are open to inspections. Of the US’ 104 nuclear power reactors , only five are under IAEA safeguards.

In contrast to this figure — one-twentieth of facilities being volunteered for safeguards — our Government has agreed to put two-thirds of our reactors under safeguards. That’s just the beginning as of now. The Bush Administration has been quoted as saying, all new reactors we construct will be under safeguards, ninety per cent of India’s reactors will come to be under IAEA safeguards in the future.

... contd.