The recent remarks by Rafael Grossi, applauding India’s achievement in bringing the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam to criticality, have sparked more than just celebration in scientific circles. They have also revived a fundamental question at the heart of the global nuclear order: can the head of the world’s nuclear watchdog afford to praise a sensitive nuclear facility that lies outside international safeguards?

DG IAEA Grossi’s message, delivered via social media, described the milestone as “impressive progress” and reaffirmed the IAEA’s support for the “safe and secure development” of India’s nuclear programme. On the surface, this appears consistent with the IAEA’s role in promoting peaceful nuclear technology. But beneath the diplomatic language lies a troubling omission, one that goes to the core of nuclear governance: safeguards.

The Kalpakkam PFBR is not under comprehensive IAEA safeguards. This is not a minor technicality; it is a defining characteristic. Because India remains outside the NPT, it retains the right to designate which facilities are civilian and open to inspection, and which remain outside international oversight. The PFBR........

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