In the context of the 2007 Indo US Civil Nuclear Agreement, which one of the following provisions was actually included in the final text of the agreement?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: India has an advance right to reprocess United States origin safeguarded spent nuclear fuel under international safeguards.

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question checks understanding of a key provision of the 2007 Indo US Civil Nuclear Agreement, also called the 123 Agreement. Many competitive exams test what rights India obtained under this agreement, especially with respect to nuclear fuel, reprocessing, and strategic autonomy.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The question refers specifically to the Indo US Nuclear Agreement of 2007.
  • We must identify which statement correctly reflects a provision that was actually included in the agreement.
  • The options describe different possible conditions relating to reprocessing, strategic fuel reserves, nuclear testing, and weapons growth.


Concept / Approach:
The agreement was designed to allow international civil nuclear cooperation with India while ensuring non proliferation safeguards. A very important feature was the recognition of India's right, in principle, to reprocess spent nuclear fuel of United States origin in a dedicated, safeguarded facility. At the same time, provisions about strategic fuel reserves and nuclear weapons testing were handled more indirectly, through political commitments rather than explicit treaty style bans inside the agreement text.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the 123 Agreement recognised an advance right for India to reprocess safeguarded spent fuel, subject to setting up a dedicated safeguarded facility and agreeing on arrangements and procedures with the United States.Step 2: Examine option A, which states that India has an advance right to reprocess United States origin spent fuel under safeguards. This matches the core provision of the agreement.Step 3: Option B wrongly says that India did not have the right to build a strategic fuel reserve. In reality, the agreement and related statements allowed India to build fuel reserves with supplier cooperation.Step 4: Option C suggests a complete ban on future nuclear tests by India. The agreement itself did not include such a direct ban, although there were political expectations and related domestic legislation in the United States.Step 5: Option D claims the United States will directly impede the growth of India's nuclear weapons programme, which is not an explicit provision of the civil nuclear cooperation agreement.


Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative way to verify is to remember that Indian negotiators emphasised three strategic interests: assured fuel supply, right to reprocess, and strategic autonomy. Among the options given, only the right to reprocess safeguarded spent fuel clearly appears as a recognised legal right within the framework of the agreement, subject to conditions.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is wrong because India was allowed to work with other suppliers to build a strategic fuel reserve to ensure continuity of supply.
Option C is wrong because the agreement did not explicitly prohibit India from conducting nuclear tests in the future, although a test could have consequences for cooperation.
Option D is wrong because there is no clause that allows the United States to directly control or impede the growth of India's nuclear weapons programme. The agreement is focused on civil nuclear cooperation, not on direct weapons control.


Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse general political debates around the agreement with the exact legal text of the 123 Agreement. Students sometimes assume that any discussion of tests or fuel cut off was written into the agreement as a hard and explicit ban, which is not correct. Another pitfall is to mix up the separate but related United States domestic legislation with the bilateral agreement itself.


Final Answer:
The correct provision included in the 2007 Indo US Nuclear Agreement is the recognition that India has an advance right to reprocess United States origin safeguarded spent nuclear fuel under safeguards.

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