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If, as some members of the Indian government claim, India is "serious as far as nuclear non-proliferation" is concerned, then what is stopping them from signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)? The answer is, of course, India wants the freedom to purchase nuclear material without the bother of cumbersome checks on all its reactors by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Certainly India has acceded to the demand that some of its reactors can be inspected, but not those reactors where it is believed the development of nuclear weapons takes place.
With the dire need for energy for domestic consumption purposes, India has developed reactors capable of supplying some of the nation's needs. Expansion of this project is essential if all the country's requirements are to be met, but the stumbling block has been the embargo placed on it since 1974, when India tested a nuclear device, much to the consternation of its neighbours and the rest of the world.
The US, under the Bush administration, has been keen to supply India with technology and assistance in developing further India's domestic nuclear programme, but its efforts have been thwarted until now by the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The NSG insisted that India should sign the NPT, India expected to be held on trust that it would abide by the NPT conditions, but would not sign up to the agreement.
With much persuasion from America, and principally President George W. Bush, a special allowance has now been made whereby India will be able to develop its domestic nuclear programme, making it the third country - after Israel and Pakistan - that will not be subject to full IAEA inspections. Opponents of this agreement fear it sends out the wrong message in that any moves against Iran and North Korea over nuclear issues will look duplicitous.
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