India & the US

In a major breakthrough in Indo-US nuke ties, the Obama administration gave the green signal, two weeks ago, to American firms to collaborate with Indian companies to manufacture nuclearrelated components. The approval comes despite India not being an NPT signatory. Speaking at the fourth annual conference on ‘Nuclear Power in India,’ president of American Nuclear Society, India chapter, Corey McDaniel said the process was initiated during President Obama’s visit to India last year. New Delhi had to submit an assurance that nuclear components produced in India with American collaboration will not be exported to North Korea and Iran. “Now, the US department of energy has to issue licences to American firms to start collaboration,” McDaniel said. Principal adviser to the department of atomic energy, R B Grover, said details of the Nuclear Liability Bill will be placed in the public domain for the first time on Wednesday.