The US Congress on October 1, 2008, gave absolute endorsement to an accord facilitating nuclear collaboration between the US and India. The agreement is seen as a defining moment in US-India associations and brings in a fresh aspect to worldwide non-proliferation efforts. The agreement lifts a more than 30 years old US cessation on nuclear trade with India by allowing US to offer aid to India’s civilian nuclear regime. However, opposition parties in India maintained that the country’s sovereignty and reputation have been sold out. On the other hand, several US politicians are of the belief that a gaping fissure has been knocked into the NPT command and it essentially overturns more than 50 years of US non-proliferation labours undermining efforts to thwart Iran and North Korea from obtaining nuclear weapons, and potentially adds to a nuclear arms race in the continent.
