What ails the India-US N-deal?

The issue was further complicated when US Ambassador to India David C Mulford told Press Trust of India that the nuclear deal would not pass the US Congress if India did not back the US move to refer Iran to the UN Security Council.

The Iran vote and after

This sparked off massive indignation in India, with the Left parties in the government and the right in Opposition describing it as a 'sellout of sovereignty.'

This was followed by Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Dr Anil Kakodkar telling the Indian Express that the US request that specific nuclear facilities be classified as 'civilian' amounted to 'changing the goalposts.'

The India-US nuclear talks include not just reactors currently in operation but those expected to start functioning by 2009. They also include research reactors which provide fissile material for India's weapons programme. India has over 80 nuclear facilities and installations, including 15 power reactors and a large number of military-related installations.

Photographs courtesy: Department of Atomic Energy

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