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The “India-Philippines-IAEA (IPA) Agreement” of the early 1960s in association with IAEA was the first regional collaborative tripartite agreement involved in the making of a neutron spectrometer by India and its installation at the Philippine Research Reactor-I to be used for providing training in neutron physics, elastic/ inelastic neutron scattering and solid state physics to the scientists and technologists from the neighboring countries. IPA continued and eventually led to the establishment of Regional Co-operative Agreement (RCA) in 1972 by the ten governments in the Asia and Pacific region in close co-ordination with IAEA. The core mandate of RCA is to promote and provide mutual co-operation through co-ordinated research and development activities in nuclear science and technology amongst the member countries and to extend the benefits for their socio-economic growth. RCA has registered a steady growth, both in its membership and in size and subject scope of its programmes. RCA projects have contributed significantly in a number of priority areas vital to regional socio-economic development, such as food and agriculture, health care, industry and environmental protection. Number of scientists, engineers and technicians of RCA Member States involved in various projects has grown to several thousand. With the growing emphasis placed on technical co-operation among developing countries, share of specialists from developing countries engaged in various RCA activities is steadily increasing.
RCA completed 25 years of its existence in 1997 and 17 Member States- Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam - constitute the family. During these years, the member countries and the Agency have accumulated valuable experience of co-operation in co-ordinated nuclear-research and development activities in the region. The various RCA projects and activities encompassing well defined themes of socio-economic relevance conducted by the Agency under its regular technical co-operation programme at the national and regional level complement each other. The meticulous budgetary planning and maximum utilisation of available manpower amongst the member countries has always resulted in the functioning of RCA in a most cost effective manner.
RCA is one of the
four regional co-operative agreements under the aegis of IAEA; the other
three are ARCAL for Latin
America and the Caribbean,
AFRA for Africa and ARASIA
for Arab states in Asia. RCA is the longest running regional agreement and becomes the enviable role model for other regional projects due to its maturity, commitment and its tangible accomplishments.
- India has always taken a proactive and prominent lead role throughout the conceptualization, planning and institution of RCA and also in the implementation of all programmes under RCA.
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RCA Regional Office started functioning from Daejeon, Korea in 2002. Through the extended co-operation from its member countries and planned co-ordination from Agency, RCA is all set to embark upon new projects and programs of mutual interest and benefits in the coming years . Advanced nuclear technologies
have distinct advantages – economically,
environmentally and expediently - in relation to other conventional technologies.
Extensive utilisation of peaceful uses of Atomic
energy to the benefit of mankind being the sole and whole mission of RCA, it is anticipated that, through concerted research and development activities intensely pursued by its constituent member countries under the able guidance of IAEA and the extended scientific and technological co-operation in areas of socio-economic and regional development, many more nuclear energy based novel applications and utilities are bound to take shape. To that extent, RCA has got a very pivotal role to play in the process of translation of the research findings through the phases of successful design, development and demonstration to final tangible end utility.
RCA is unique for
- its well-conceived objectives and orderly structured activities
- a colorful past history - its previous successful accomplishments.
- its professional commitment to meet the regional/national socio-economic needs of the member states through dedicated and well coordinated efforts
- its expertise in the deployment of economically viable, eco-friendly and expeditious result yielding advanced nuclear technologies as the potential tool.
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