Friday, 7 December 2012

Canada will sign nuclear deal with India: High commissioner


 COIMBATORE: "India and Canada will sign a nuclear deal in the coming months paying the way for New Delhi to import uranium and reactors from Ottawa," Canadian high commissioner to India Stewart Beck said. He was speaking to TOI on Monday after attending the inauguration of a factory unit of Velan Valves in the city.
"This will allow India to obtain uranium and heavy water reactors from Canada, which will help the country to develop nuclear power," he said. The Indian nuclear reactors depend on heavy water reactors which can be obtained from them. The Canadian government is also taking steps to initiate trade and exchange of oil and gas between the two nations.
In the next five years, India could get a large quantity of gas and oil, he said. Beck said that Canadian firms were showing a keen interest to invest in India. This is because of the vast market the country offers as well as the skilled labour force the country offers, he added. "From automobiles to several manufacturing units are setting their plants in India. The skilled labour force here can get things done in much reduced cost than that of Canada," he said.
The engineering education in Canada is oriented towards problem solving while here it concentrates on components. Moreover, the application of theories are also lacking in India, he said. Their school students are better with the application of the physics and mathematics concepts they learn. However with 50 to 60 students in a class, this may be hard to achieve. Their colleges face this by reducing the number of students in the final year of their graduation by putting them in smaller groups, he said.
Beck said the country to develop may have to concentrate on the energy needs of the country."Generating energy is a growing challenge for India. Steps have to be taken in the near future," he said.

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