[One should not be misled by the caption of the news report reproduced below or the customary diplomatese. And, it does not really call for any Herculean effort to get to the real essence of the current status: *While the two nations’ leaders in February announced a “breakthrough understanding” to resolve a long-standing impasse stemming from India’s nuclear liability law, forward movement has however ground to a standstill since then* [emphasis added] and last month a State Department spokesperson told *The Hindu* that there was “nothing new to announce on the civil nuclear deal at this time.” In February, a top State Department official, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal, said, “Now it will be up to the companies to assess for themselves the business case scenarios and make their own decisions based on the commercial aspects – how to move forward.” *Primary obstacle* However one industry source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that there was “nothing happening” since February 8, 2015, when Ministry of External Affairs provided an FAQ-style “clarification” regarding Section 17 (b) and Section 46 of India’s liability law, which are seen as the primary obstacle to continued momentum in this space. It hardly needs any further explication or elaboration.
One may like to compare this with the analysis offered by this commentator, soon after last February 8: 'The "Breakthrough" (or "Breakthrough Understanding"?) on Nuclear Agreement between Modi and Obama: A Reality Check' at <http://www.sacw.net/article10629.html>. Here is a short excerpt: *Conclusion* *So, in sum, while the Sec. 17(b) of the CLNDA is all set to be completely subverted through the provision of free full insurance coverage to the turnkey suppliers out of exclusively Indian taxpayers’ money, though the backup move to read down this provision of the Act does not appear to amount much; the issues as regards the Sec. 46 appear to remain pretty much unresolved.* And, the proof of the pudding will surely be in the eating.] http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indiaus-civil-nuclear-pact-a-done-deal-says-indian-ambassador-arun-singh/article7326980.ece?homepage=true India-U.S. civil nuclear pact a done deal, says Indian Ambassador - NARAYAN LAKSHMAN All the policy-level issues have been resolved, says Arun Singh. It may now be left to the U.S. corporations to take a decision on investment. Policymakers have done all they can to facilitate the implementation of the India-U.S. civil nuclear deal and it may now be left to the U.S. nuclear corporations to take a decision on whether to invest in nuclear reactors in India, was the message that Indian ambassador to the U.S. Arun Singh seemed to convey at an event in New York this week. Addressing a gathering organised by the Asia Society Policy Institute, including its president, former two-time Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Mr. Singh underscored the bilateral progress made during two meetings between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and U.S. President Barack Obama, respectively in the U.S. and India. He said, “In two summits with the U.S. in four months, the government addressed lingering differences with the U.S. on nuclear liability, injected new energy into defence and economic cooperation, and explored pragmatic ways forward on IPR issues and climate change.” Specifically on the civil nuclear deal, Mr. Singh added, “all the policy-level pending issues… have been resolved,” and this included “a common understanding about the compatibility of India’s nuclear liability legislation with the international regime and conclusion of the administrative arrangements.” ***While the two nations’ leaders in February announced a “breakthrough understanding” to resolve a long-standing impasse stemming from India’s nuclear liability law, forward movement has however ground to a standstill since then and last month a State Department spokesperson told *The Hindu* that there was “nothing new to announce on the civil nuclear deal at this time.” In February, a top State Department official, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal, said, “Now it will be up to the companies to assess for themselves the business case scenarios and make their own decisions based on the commercial aspects – how to move forward.”*** [Emphasis added.] *Primary obstacle* However one industry source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that there was “nothing happening” since February 8, 2015, when Ministry of External Affairs provided an FAQ-style “clarification” regarding Section 17 (b) and Section 46 of India’s liability law, which are seen as the primary obstacle to continued momentum in this space. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
