Expressing happiness on the waiver by the Nuclear Suppliers Group to India, Department of Atomic Energy scientists on Sunday said it was a major step forward in international civilian nuclear cooperation.

They also said it would open up lot of vistas for the scientific community. After a gap of 34 years, India can be integrated into international nuclear commerce after getting clean chit from the US Congress as the next step, they said.

"Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver was a major step and an important step forward to put India on international nuclear commercial map," Dr M R Srinivasan, Member, Atomic Energy Commission said.

Srinivasan said India has been maintaining its position on non-proliferation and will continue to do so, he said.

A few senior BARC scientists said civilian nuclear cooperation is important and should culminate in the back-end of fuel cycle.

"The ultimate aim of all the nuclear power programmes should be utilisation of complete fuel cycle and it is essential for addressing the radio waste minimisation and disposal when such large nuclear programmes will be on in the world," they said.

Although the sanction of dual-use technology may not be lifted for R and D (as BARC is in the non-civilian nuclear category), even after the waiver, "but at least India will be able to increase the power capacity till such time that our thorium utilisation technology is completely ready.”