During
his visit, President Barack Obama hugged Shigeaki Mori, an atomic bomb survivor
who created the memorial for American WWII POWs killed at Hiroshima. Mr Obama spoke to two survivors and in an
address called on nations to pursue a world without nuclear weapons.At least
140,000 people died in Hiroshima and another 74,000 three days later in a
second bombing in Nagasaki.Mr Obama first visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Museum before walking to the Peace Memorial Park, accompanied by Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe.Both men stood in front of the eternal flame. Mr Obama laid a wreath
first, followed by Mr Abe.
Back
home, Economic Times reports issuance of a liability policy – a significant one
at that – the First Nuclear Liability Policy aimed to push private
investment.
The
report states that the country's first
Nuclear Operator's Liability Policy has been issued to Nuclear Power
Corporation of India , underwritten by a consortium of insurance companies
through the India Nuclear Insurance Pool. The policy was the missing component
from the set of requirements for getting private investment in nuclear power -
the doors for which were opened ten years ago when the then Manmohan Singh -
led government signed the civil nuclear agreement with the US.
The
report adds that the entireRs
1,500-crore India Nuclear Insurance Pool is entirely supported by domestic
companies and is managed by General Insurance Corporation ( GIC ), which has
also committed funds to the pool. The first policy was issued by New India
Assurance - the largest state-owned company. Chairperson, GIC, is quoted as saying "In all history, there have been only
three nuclear accidents - Three Mile Island (US), Chernobyl (now Ukraine) and
Fukushima (Japan) and the probability of another is remote. Though the nuclear deal ended India's
isolation, investment was not forthcoming. This was because nuclear risks are
generally excluded by insurers and nuclear power operators have a maximum
liability of Rs 1,500 crore under the new law.
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
28th May 2o16.
