The bill carves out an exemption in US law to allow US civilian nuclear trade with India in exchange for Indian safeguards and inspections at its 14 civilian nuclear plants; eight military plants would be off-limits.
Congressional action is necessary because US law bars nuclear trade with countries that have not submitted to full international inspections. India built its nuclear weapons program outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which provides civil nuclear trade in exchange for a pledge from nations not to pursue nuclear weapons.
There are other necessary steps before US-Indian nuclear cooperation could begin. An exception for India must be made by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an assembly of nations that export nuclear material. Indian officials also must negotiate a safeguard agreement with the UN nuclear watchdog.
And once technical negotiations on an overall cooperation agreement are settled between India and the US, the US Congress would then hold another vote on the overall deal.
RSS