A new draft proposal circulated among Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) member-states early this month could pave the way for India to become a member of the elite club, but this is unlikely to happen before the end of the Obama presidency next month.
The American push for India to become a full-fledged NSG member would now have to be pursued by the incoming Trump administration as the outgoing Obama administration is unlikely to fulfil its promise made to the Modi government before its term expires on January 20, informed sources said.
A draft formula for NSG membership to countries like India and Pakistan, that are not a signatory to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), was submitted by Rafael Mariano Grossi, the former NSG Chair, who prepared the report on behalf of South Korea, the current NSG chair. —PTI
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