In October 2020, India and the United States extended the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on nuclear energy on the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) by 10 years. The MoU was originally signed between the two countries on November 7, 2010. A joint statement in this regard was issued on November 24, 2020. The extension of MoU was agreed during the 3rd US-India 2+2 Ministrial Dialogue on October 27, 2020. Various ministerial-level officials had participated in the meeting, including the US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, the US Secretary of Defence, Mark Esper, the Minister of External Affairs-India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and the Indian Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh. In the year 2008, a civil nuclear cooperation took place between India and the US after the Nuclear Suppliers Group releaxed international trade restrictions imposed on India.
Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership
The GCNEP, situated in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, is the world’s first nuclear energy partnership centre, which facilitates deliberation and discussions of international experts on various issues including innovation in nuclear reactors and the nuclear fuel cycle, development of proliferation-resistant reactors, security technologies and the effects of radiation exposure. It was established by India with assistance of US, France, and Russia in 2010.
The GCNEP consists of five schools for conducting research into advanced nuclear energy systems, nuclear security, radiological safety, as well as applications for radioisotopes and radiation technologies. These schools are:
- School of Advanced Nuclear Energy System Studies (SANESS)
- School of Nuclear Security Studies (SNSS)
- School on Radiological Safety Studies (SRSS)
- School of Nuclear Material Characterization Studies (SNMCS)
- School for Studies on Applications of Radioisotopes and Radiation Technologies (SARRT)
Various research programmes and a variety of other activities, including training programmes, international seminars and group discussions by experts, and development and conduct of courses in association with interested countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency, are conducted at GCNEP.