Page 281 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

Members. There are 138 member States of the IAEA whose representatives meet annually
for the General Conference to elect 35 members to be included into the Board of
Governors.

Board of Governors. The 35-member Board of Governors meets five times a year and is a
consensual body, which prepares decisions to be made by the General Conference. India is

a member of the Board of Governors of the IAEA Field and Liaison Offices. The IAEA
maintains field and liaison offices in Geneva, New York, Toronto and Tokyo. It also
operates laboratories in Austria and Monaco and supports a research centre in Trieste, Italy
that is administered by the UNESCO.

Three Pillars of IAEA’s Work

Safeguards and Verification. The IAEA Department of Safeguards is the organizational
hub for the IAEA’s safeguards work. Inspectors of IAEA seek to investigate suspected

violations of the NPT under the mandate of the UN, and if the IAEA finds any indications
for nuclear weapons programme, it can refer the matter to the UN Security Council.

Safety and Security. The IAEA seeks to help member countries to upgrade nuclear safety
and to prepare to respond to emergencies. The aim is to protect people and the environment
from exposure to harmful radiation. Standards are applied for safety of nuclear
installations, radioactive sources and management of radioactive waste.

Science and Technology. Geared towards building cooperation and fostering research and
development in developmental areas where nuclear technology can play an important role.
Emphasis is laid on the generation of electricity in order to meet the demands of rising
energy requirements.

India’s nuclear installations do not fall under the purview of the IAEA

As India is not a signatory to the NPT it is not obliged to open its nuclear installations for IAEA
inspections. However, India may open its civil nuclear installations for IAEA inspections in the wake
of the Indo-US nuclear agreement.

Nobel Peace Prize for the IAEA and its director general

The 2005 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the IAEA and its Director General Mohammed El
Baradei for their efforts to control the spread of nuclear weapons, especially to terrorists.

Current focus on Iran