Kochi: A top nuclear scientist has warned that India stands to lose much more than access to American nuclear technology if it backs out of the nuke deal with the US, saying atomic cooperation with Russia and France could be also in doldrums.

Any failure of the Indo-US nuke deal to go through will see India being denied not only access to a permanent source of energy but overseas nuclear technology, said M R Srinivasan, a member of National Security Advisory Board while delivering a lecture on Indo-US Nuclear Agreement and its Impact on Indian Economy last night.

Srinivasan unequivocally said without the agreement the country will lose much more . "Not only access to American nuclear technology, but also cooperation with Russia and France," he warned. However, he acknowledged that the Hyde Act, the basis for the nuclear deal, was not not completely in favour of India.

"Probably the Act does not allow us a further nuclear test and has provision regarding termination of treaty in that," said the former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. While France is keen to start wide-scale nuclear cooperation with India, it will not be possible for Paris to enter into a deal with New Delhi without the latter successfully completing its safeguards agreement with the IAEA to operationalise the Indo-US accord, French officials said in Mumbai recently.

"We will be unable to enter into a deal with India on civilian nuclear cooperation unless India enters into safeguards agreement with IAEA as a follow up of 123 agreement with the US," French officials, who were here to participate in the just-concluded first Indo-French nuclear business meet, said.

Source : PTI