Cabinet approves ratification of IAEA amendment to protect nuclear material

The Union Cabinet today approved the ratification of the IAEA amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, 1980.

New Delhi, June 15 : The Union Cabinet today approved the ratification of the IAEA amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, 1980.

The Cabinet also gave its approval to amend the Extradition Act 1962.

The States Parties, at a Diplomatic Conference held at IAEA Headquarters in July 2005, adopted an amendment to the Convention with a view to strengthening its provisions.

Becoming a party to the Convention would strengthen the international legal framework to combat terrorism and also enhance international cooperation in investigation, prosecution and extradition of those who commit terrorist acts and acts of sabotage involving radioactive material or nuclear devices and facilities, a Cabinet release said.

The amendment will make it legally binding on States Parties to protect nuclear facilities and material in peaceful domestic use, storage as well as transport.

It will also provide for expanded cooperation among States regarding rapid measures to locate and recover stolen or smuggled nuclear material, mitigate any radiological consequences of sabotage and prevent and combat related offences.

India will become the first country with nuclear weapons to ratify the amendment. Until now, only 10 countries, including Algeria, Nigeria, Austria and Bulgaria have ratified this amendment.

Meanwhile, according to some media reports, the Union Cabinet has decided to refer the Aviation Policy to a Group of Ministers (GoM).

The Cabinet meeting felt that several proposals contained in the policy named as Vision-2020 needed to be further discussed.

The proposal to separate Air Traffic Control (ATC) from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) was also taken up at the Cabinet meeting.

ANI