United States President Barack Obama expressed concern over the impact of India's Nuclear Liability Act when the Congress president and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, called on him on Monday evening.
Congress sources told TheHindu that Mr. Obama appeared a “little worried” about certain provisions in the Act that seems to have dampened the enthusiasm of the U.S. nuclear companies to participate in India's ambitious civil nuclear energy programme.
They also discussed social issues during the half-hour conversation, with the focus on the string of existing and proposed laws that are creating a rights-based legal framework for Indian citizens, aimed at creating a more equitable society, the sources said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ms. Gandhi, who arrived at the ITC Maurya in the Capital to meet President Obama, was accompanied by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma and Chairperson of the Congress' Foreign Affairs Department Karan Singh. Assisting the U.S. President were National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and Ambassador to India, Timothy Roemer.
Interactive and friendly
The meeting was “interactive and friendly,” and covered a “range of issues”, according to the Congress sources, who added that “The Right to Information Act, the Right to Education Act, the proposed Right to Food Act and [India's experience with] poverty alleviation [schemes] were discussed in the meeting.” President Obama said that he was happy with his visit so far and “impressed” by the way India was developing, especially in the area of education, the sources said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ms. Gandhi, as is her wont, allowed all her colleagues to participate fully in the conversation.
This was the second interaction Ms. Gandhi and Mr. Mukherjee had with Mr. Obama on this visit — they were seated at the same table at the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in honour of the U.S. President and First Lady Michelle Obama at his residence on Race Course Road on Sunday night.