Question : MEMBERSHIP IN NSG

(a) whether India proposes to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and if so, the details thereof and steps taken to meet the obligations under the said multilateral bodies;

(b) whether India has been denied access to Enrichment and Reprocessing (ENR) technologies being non-signatory State to Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken/proposed to be taken to ensure access to such technologies;

(c) the details of the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to garner support of the members of the NSG, MTCR, Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group to join such multilateral bodies including the USA;

(d) whether India also proposes to join the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group and if so, the details thereof and steps taken in this regard; and

(e) whether reports suggest that China has allegedly supplied nuclear reactors to Pakistan with the approval of the NSG and if so, the details in this regard and the reaction of the Government thereto?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a), (c) & (d) Yes. In the Joint Statement of November 08, 2010 of the President of U.S. and the Prime Minister of India, United States expressed its intention to support India’s full membership in the four multilateral export control regimes [Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Australia Group (AG), and Wassenaar Arrangement (WA)] in a phased manner. The Government has already taken steps to adhere to the NSG and MTCR guidelines. Further, updation of our national export control lists is carried out from time to time to harmonise our controls with those of the two regimes. India is also engaged with the four export control regimes and with individual members of these regimes with a view to facilitate our membership. In the Joint Statement issued on September 30, 2014 during Prime Minister’s recent visit to United States, U.S. affirmed that India meets MTCR requi- rements and is ready for NSG membership. India will formally apply for membership of the four regimes once the ground has been adequately prepared for its membership.

(b) The Government’s position on Enrichment and Reprocessing (ENR) Technologies has been spelt out in the Suo Motu statement delivered by the Minister for External Affairs in the House on 10 August 2011.

(e) India is not a member of NSG and hence not a party to discussions within the NSG. However, Government is aware that Chinese supplies to Pakistan’s nuclear reactors at Chashma 3 and 4 as well as to additional reactors in Karachi are in violation of NSG guidelines on nuclear transfers and do not have the approval of the NSG. Our concerns on nuclear transfers to Pakistan in violation of international norms and guidelines have been made known to our interlocutors.