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Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari has told that the time when the India will see the private nuclear plants is "not so distant future". He emphasised on providing training for the human resources in this sector.
"While we can import nuclear fuel and technology, human resource would have to be developed and equipped within the country," said Ansari. He was addressing the graduation ceremony of the 52nd batch of students of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Training School.
"There are not many academic or professional institutions to train scientists and technologists for the nuclear industry in India. It is here that I foresee one of the most significant challenges for the BARC Training School," he said.
Ansari has revealed that there is a change in the international regulatory environment with respect to the nuclear commerce.
"This would also bring about a re-adjustment in the internal regulatory environment," he said. He added that the nuclear power sector required private investments, which will abide by guidelines of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
"It also calls for framing the rules for private and foreign entry and for allowing up to 49 percent FDI in this sector. In the not so distant future, therefore, private utility providers would run nuclear power plants. Such plants would need human resource," he. The AEC Chairman Anil Kakodkar and BARC Director S. Banerjee were also present at the graduation ceremony.
He added that the atomic sector is in need for an extensive time zone as well as excellence.
"It is said that on a 'cradle to grave' basis, nuclear activity would exceed 100 years if one were to include monitoring radioactive waste. Human resource development, therefore, must long precede the nuclear power programme and must continue after 'sunset' even if such a programme were to shutdown," he said.
In this context, he called for proper "knowledge management in the nuclear sector to ensure smooth and orderly transfer of technology from research institutions to industry and from public sector to private sector."
Maharashtra Governor S.C. Jamir presided over the graduation ceremony and Kakodkar also addressed the gathering.
