Sunday, March 5 2006 14:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Welcoming the recent Indo-US nuclear deal, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) director S Banerjee today (Mar 05 2005) said implementation of the deal was an evolutionary process and therefore India should continue to build its indigenous capability and strength with more vigour.

"India should continue building indigenous capability and strength in the field of nuclear energy and other peaceful applications more vigorously and cannot relax as whatever is talked about in the deal will unfold during the next few years," Banerjee told sources.

"The plan is an evolutionary process and it is not clear at this moment whether we will get any imported power plants. Even if we get them, it is only 'additionality'.

"Therefore, it is all the more important for Indian scientists and technologists to work vigorously on new technologies for fast breeder and future thorium reactors and in fact multiply our efforts in research and development," he said.

For future growth, India also required to enhance its growth in accelerator development and on hydrogen economy and all these need development of science of cryogenics, he said.

"BARC is already in advance stages of development of Accelerated Driven Technology and Hydrogen source (from nuclear energy). All these require expansion of knowledge and technology and we should not relax," Banerjee added.