At the end of a 12-day visit by its team of Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) experts, who travelled to various nuclear facilities in the country, IAEA said, "The government should embed the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) regulatory independence in law, separated from other entities having responsibilities or interests that could unduly influence its decision making."
"The government should promulgate a national policy and strategy for safety, and a radioactive waste management strategy as a statement of the government's intent," IRRS experts recommended.
Incidentally, IAEA Director General General Yukiya Amano is also on a visit to India.
Currently, the AERB, established in 1983, is tasked with regulating the safety and security aspects of the country's civilian nuclear facilities. However, it is not an autonomous body as it depends on the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) for all practical purposes.
Critics say, it has been unable to perform its regulatory functions effectively. The demand for establishing a truly autonomous nuclear regulatory authority has been a long- standing one. In 1997, the Raja Ramanna Committee report had recommended that the Atomic Energy Act (1962) should be amended to enhance the effectiveness of the nuclear regulatory system in the country.