The lecture outlined the story of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal from 2005 all the way up to the issues addressed by the US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the former’s recent visit. The subject is intertwined with India's nuclear energy program, whose history, current status and future prospects was also summarized in the talk. The problems bedeviling India's plans for acquiring Russian, French and the US companies build reactors will receive special attention, including their legal liability against nuclear accidents. The question whether India can afford nuclear energy in terms of its costs and hazards wwas also addressed.

R.Rajaraman is Emeritus Professor of Physics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He taught and did research at Cornell University, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, University of Delhi and Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. He has been a long-term visiting scientist at Harvard University, M.I.T., Stanford University, CERN and Princeton University. He is a member of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Forum, the Editorial Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists and till recently the Co-Chair of the International Panel on Fissile Materials and Vice President of the Indian National Science Academy.

His research area has spanned from Many-body theory, Particle Physics, Quantum field theory, Soliton physics and Quantum Hall systems. He has written on policy issues including higher education, nuclear energy, reducing nuclear weapons in S. Asia, the Indo-US nuclear Agreement and its impact on the nuclear arsenals.

Aditya Nigam is Professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.

Tuesday, 24 February 2015
CSDS Seminar Room