India should have the right to import nuclear reactors from all members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) without any conditions, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar said on Tuesday.

“No post and pre-conditions should be laid and there is a need for clean, unconditional exemptions from NSG guidelines on the import of nuclear reactors,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a graduation function at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Academic Research at Kalpakkam, about 75 km from Chennai.

He was responding to a query on NSG guidelines that restrict the export of reactors by members of the grouping, including the US, France, Russia, Australia and Japan.

Reacting to top US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns’ remarks that it was up to India to convince NSG members to provide it nuclear fuel and light water reactors, he said it was the duty of the US to do so in the wake of the nuclear deal recently clinched with America. “We are holding talks with the NSG in this regard,” he said.

Commenting on the deal and the possible US restrictions on nuclear tests by India, Kakodkar said, “We have to look at Indian interests and should be able to carry out our strategic programmes.”

Endorsing the deal, he said that it was a three-stage programme that had provisions to discuss non-interference by the US. “India has all the rights to reprocess spent fuel,” he said.

To a question on the need for such a deal, Kakodkar said that though India was self-sufficient in the nuclear arena, it was “looking at other alternatives too”.

“Eight reactors have been approved in-principle, which will come up at four locations across the country,” he pointed out.

The ultimate goal of the Indian nuclear programme is to move from uranium to thorium. By 2050, nuclear energy will constitute 2,74,000 MW or 20 to 25 per cent of India’s power production, he said.

Earlier, 20 trainees who graduated from the first batch of the one-year orientation course for engineering at IGCAR were presented certificates and medallions by J B Joshi, director of Mumbai’s University Institute of Chemical Technology.