© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The United States attacked three key nuclear installations in Iran on Sunday morning (June 22), with President Donald Trump claiming that all the three facilities had been “completely and totally obliterated.” In light of this, learn about the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena related to the IAEA.
(Relevance: In 2018 and 2020, UPSC has asked direct questions from the IAEA, making it an important topic for the exam. NSG, WA, AG, and MTCR are four important Nuclear Export control regimes. Questions have been asked around these topics in Mains and Prelims. Therefore, it is important to get a comprehensive understanding of the topic.)
The global nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said that there has been “no radiation leak” from any nuclear facility in Pakistan after the escalated military engagement with India. During Operation Sindoor, Sargodha, one of Pakistan’s biggest air bases, near Kirana Hills, was targeted by India. Kirana Hills is reported to house some nuclear installations. On Monday (12th May), Air Marshal A K Bharti, DG Air Operations, had said that India has not hit any target in Pakistan’s Kirana Hills.
1. Established in 1957, the IAEA was created in response to the deep fears and expectations generated by the increased use of nuclear technology. It was the result of U.S. President Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” address to the General Assembly of the United Nations on 8 December 1953.
2. In 2005, the IAEA and its Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work for a safer and more peaceful world. The Committee honoured the IAEA and its leader “for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way.”
3. IAEA Safeguards are embedded in legally binding agreements. These safeguards are accepted by the states after the conclusion of such agreements with the agency. It plays a central role in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons through the independent verification of States’ compliance with nuclear non-proliferation undertakings.
4. According to the IAEA, there are three types of safeguard agreements and each may be complemented with the Additional Protocol (AP).
(a) comprehensive safeguards agreements with non-nuclear-weapon State parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT);
(b) voluntary offer safeguards agreements with the nuclear-weapon State parties to the NPT; and
(c) item-specific safeguards agreements with non-NPT States.
5. In 2014, India ratified the Additional Protocol (AP), which granted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) greater access to India’s civil nuclear programme. India has signed an item-specific safeguards agreement under the IAEA along with Pakistan and Israel. They are nuclear-power states that are not a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
6. In 2009, the Incident and Emergency Centre was established by the IAEA for the coordination of international assistance in emergency preparedness and response to radiation incidents and emergencies — regardless of their cause or severity.
Nuclear Export Control Regime |
| 📍Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR): Established in 1987, MTCR is an “informal political understanding among states that seek to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology”. It has 35 members. India was admitted in June 2016. China is not a member.
📍Australia Group: It is “an informal forum of countries which, through the harmonisation of export controls, seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons.” On 19 January 2018, India formally became the 43rd member of the Australia Group. 📍Wassenaar Arrangement (WA): The WA, formally established in 1996, aims to promote “transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies”, so there are no “destabilising accumulations”, and terrorists do not acquire them. In 2017, India joined WA as the 42nd Participating State. |
1. Following India’s 1974 nuclear tests, the US pushed for setting up a club of nuclear equipment and fissile material suppliers, the NSG. The 48-nation group frames and implements agreed rules for exporting nuclear equipment, with a view to controlling the spread of nuclear weapons; members are admitted only by consensus.
2. India has been trying, since 2008, to join the group, which would give it a place at the high table where the rules of nuclear commerce are decided — and, eventually, the ability to sell equipment.
3. NSG aims to strengthen the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, whose centrepiece is the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, or NPT. The NPT defines “nuclear weapons states” as those that tested devices before January 1, 1967 — which means India cannot ever be one. India — like Israel and Pakistan — thus refused to sign the treaty.
4. Nuclear energy was a key means to strengthen cooperation, but since India wasn’t a member of the NPT, technology couldn’t be shared. Through the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, a way forward was reached.
5. India agreed to separate its civilian and military nuclear programmes, and put the civilian part under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. India also changed its export laws to line up with the NSG, MTCR, Wassenaar Arrangement, and Australia Group — the four key nuclear control regimes.
6. In February 2025, both sides committed to “fully realise” the US-India 123 Civil Nuclear Agreement, alongside a pledge to move forward on plans to work together to build American-designed nuclear reactors in India through large scale localisation and possible technology transfer.
(1) In India, why are some nuclear reactors kept under “IAEA safeguards” while others are not? (2020)
(a) Some use uranium and others use thorium
(b) Some use imported uranium and others use domestic supplies
(c) Some are operated by foreign enterprises and others are operated by domestic enterprises
(d) Some are State-owned and others are privately owned
(2) In the Indian context, what is the implication of ratifying the ‘Additional Protocol’ with the ‘International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’? (UPSC CSE 2018)
(a) The civilian nuclear reactors come under IAEA safeguards.
(b) The military nuclear installations come under the inspection of IAEA.
(c) The country will have the privilege to buy uranium from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
(d) The country automatically becomes a member of the NSG.
| Answer key |
| 1. (b) 2. (a) |
(Sources: IAEA: No radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan, India and the clubs that control war tech exports, EDIT: Bad in law, What are MTCR and NSG, and why does India want to be their part)
Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨
