KV Prasad

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 13A fresh controversy surfaced over the India-Japan civil nuclear agreement amid a report that New Delhi made additional commitments to Tokyo, denied by authorities privy to details of the agreement.Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs said the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signed last week in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe contained the same ‘’template’’ as with other civil nuclear pacts with others, including the USA, barring an exception.“Given Japan’s special sensitivities as the only nation to have suffered a nuclear attack, it was felt that their views should be recorded in a separate note, a record by the negotiators of respective views on certain issues. It states, on one hand what could be Japan’s views in advance on what is a hypothetical situation; that is their national prerogative,” the sources said.On reports of termination clause, the sources said it was present in other pacts that India had signed, including the US, and made specific reference to Article 14. “However, the circumstances triggering a possible termination are never sharply defined. Consideration also has to be given to mitigating factors”.Report in a section of media suggested that if India violates it voluntary commitment on moratorium on nuclear testing made to the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2008, the section on emergency suspension of nuclear parts or fuel supply could be invoked. India, the sources said, also recorded its position, which was a reiteration of the September 5, 2008 commitments and no change was envisaged from it to make additional commitments.The civil nuclear agreement is to be ratified by Japanese Parliament, Diet. Barring Russia, Japanese companies Hitachi, Toshiba and Mitsubishi have parts in nuclear reactors that US companies like Westinghouse and GE or French Areva are to install in India under the separate arrangement.