Dr. Satyajit Rath , National Institute of Immunology, talks to Newsclick about events unfolding in Fukushima.

In the second part of his inteview with Newsclick, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board of India, Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan speaks about the question marks on nuclear energy post the Fukushima-1 Reactors' incidents.

Newsclick interviews Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board in India on March 24, 2011. He speaks about the primary reasons for the continuing disaster in the Fukushima reactors following a major earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Responding to the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan, officials from the Atomic Energy Commission sought to reassure nervous Indians that Indian reactors are 100 percent safe and pose absolutely no threat to public health -- as long as there is no unforeseeable system failure or sudden accident.

Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board talks to Newsclick about safety and regulatory imperatives in the nuclear energy sector in the country apropos the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan.

Prabir Purkayastha examines the key lessons to be learned from Fukushima.

If India is indeed serious about a nuclear energy program, it needs to create a proper safety organisation. A safety audit without an independent regulatory body is of little value. Writes Prabir Purkayastha 

If Fukushima gives a pause in this rush for costly and and untested imported light water reactors, at least we can say that this Government has an open mind. Otherwise, we will have to conclude that there is a different agenda at play, divorced from the need for nuclear energy.

If Fukushima gives a pause in this rush for costly and and untested imported light water reactors, at least we can say that this Government has an open mind. Otherwise, we will have to conclude that there is a different agenda at play, divorced from the need for nuclear energy. 

The ongoing nuclear incidents involving the Fukushima reactor in earthquake/tsunami affected Japan has posed serious questions already to the nuclear industry in India as well. Prabir Purkayastha writes.