-The Hindu In response to my recent article in The Hindu, “The real questions from Kudankulam” (edit page, September 14, 2012), supporting nuclear power and arguing for an independent regulatory authority, I received much feedback, largely positive, some critical; some of which deserves a response. Many of these points have been made by others, repeatedly, but some are new to me. 1) Independent oversight: Two credible people said that I was too...

-Economic and Political Weekly The recent Comptroller and Auditor General's report on the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and, more broadly, on nuclear Safety regulation has highlighted many serious organisational and operational flaws. The report follows on a series of earlier CAG reports that documented cost and time overruns and poor performance at a number of nuclear facilities in the country. On the whole, the CAG reports offer a powerful indictment of...

-The Hindu The government may consider tighter environment and Safety norms for the Kudankulam nuclear plant, even as it insisted that all current conditions are being strictly complied with. Asked if a Safety relook was on the cards, given the Supreme Court’s statement on Thursday that the plant could be shut if the Safety aspects were not satisfactorily ensured, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said: “I am willing to consider [a relook] in...

-The Hindu ‘What we need is awareness drive and not concern’ Coming out in support of the Union government, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday said the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu was safe and there was no need for people living in its surrounding areas to protest. “There is no need for concern on any of the [nuclear] plants… not only Kudankulam but the Kalpakkam atomic power station,...

-PTI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Trading activities came to a virtual halt across Kerala on Wednesday as shop owners downed shutters to protest against the policies of the Central and state governments, including the decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail. Early reports from different centres said the response to the shut-down call given by traders' unions like Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Samiti (KVVES) has been total, especially in urban areas. Majority of hoteliers also joined the...