International Atomic Energy Agency

Why in news?

• Iran has started to remove 27 surveillance cameras from nuclear sites in the country, according to the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• IAEA warned that the move could be a near-fatal blow to chances of reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal

About IAEA:

• It is a UN agency, which serves as the international centre for cooperation in the nuclear/atomic field.
• The primary mandate of the organisation is to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies.
• It was created in 1957 in response to the deep fears and expectations generated by the discoveries and diverse uses of nuclear technology.
• Although the IAEA is an independent international organisation, it reports annually to the UNGA.
• Headquarter: Vienna, Austria.

Members:

• Currently, it has 171 members.
• India became a member in 1957 itself.

Functions:

• Promoting and assisting the research, development and practical applications of peaceful uses of nuclear technologies.
• Establishing and administering safety guards to ensure that such research/development, etc., by the IAEA is not used for military purposes.
• Applying, under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other international treaties, mandatory comprehensive safeguards in non-nuclear-weapon states (NNWS) parties to such treaties.

Add ons:

• The IAEA, along with its former Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

With reference to ‘International Atomic Energy Agency’, consider the following statements:

1. It reports annually to the UN General Assembly

2. India is a founding member of IAEA

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

                        C

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