The United States is committed to ensuring India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a top American diplomat said on Wednesday, expressing "regret" that his government was unsuccessful in making it a member of the grouping at its pleanary in Seoul last week.
The United States on Tuesday asked India not to talk about an unconditional waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group as it was 'provocative' ahead of the meeting of the 45-nation group.Ambassador to India David Mulford said usage of the term 'unconditional' was 'over simplification' of issues considering that the issue related to the NSG. He noted that the US was seeking 'clean exemption' from NSG and was not using the word unconditional because there are 'many moving parts'.
A multi-layered security cover has been put in place to secure the historic Red Fort from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the 75nd Independence Day on Sunday.
Germany on Monday backed India's bid to gain membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, applauding the country's 'excellent' non-proliferation track record.German Ambassador Thomas Mattusek told reporters that India not being a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty will not be an issue for his country's support to India's candidacy to the elite nuclear club, though it would like New Delhi to be a signatory to the NPT.
A National Security Guard commando died of exhaustion during a rigorous exercise at the elite force's garrison in Manesar. AJunior Commissioned Officer, 34-year-old Ratan Lal had recently joined the NSG on deputation from the 6 PARA (Special Forces) of the Army, and was undertaking a battle induction exercise when he collapsed on the training ground.
The National Security Guard crack commando strength has been almost doubled to 460 personnel each stationed at select hubs in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad to undertake quick and swift counter-terror or counter-hijack operations.
In a faux pas, NSG Chief R C Tayal on Tuesday claimed his men defused an Improvised Explosive Device recovered from high-security DRDO Bhawan after "no other agency" could handle the situation, but it later turned out to be a bomb of World War II vintage.
Continued instability in Pakistan could impact safety of its nuclear weapons and materials, a latest US Congressional report has said as it described the sale of two nuclear reactors by China to Pakistan a violation of the NSG guidelines.
A five member team of the National Security Guard has commenced its investigation into the Bangalore blast case.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that hectic diplomatic efforts were made to inform the world leaders about Pakistan's position on the NSG entry.
Surjan Singh Bhandari passed away at 4.25am, his brother Commandant Uttam Singh told PTI in Ahmedabad.
The three Army men who were part of NSG's Operation Black Tornado, as the Mumbai anti-terrorist operation was codenamed, are Captain Ryan Chakravarty of Army Ladakh Scouts Regiment serving with 52 Special Action Group of the NSG, Capt Karamjeet Singh Yadav from Army's Regiment of Artillery ARTY/51 SAG, and Subedar S Anthony Samy of Corps of Engineers/Special Warfare School NSG.
Officials probing a blast that occurred near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi suspect it was a well-orchestrated plan, knowing that no CCTV camera was installed on Prithviraj Road, police sources said on Wednesday.
The seven-day joint exercise termed Black Eagle--between the Special Forces (Garuda) of the IAF and the NSG's Black Cats was conducted with the help of MI-17 helicopters, sophisticated weaponry and unique heliborne devices used by commando forces at the NSG garrison in Manesar.
The National Security Guard has shifted around 900 of its commandos rendering VIP security duties for training in specialist counter-terror operations as part of its original charter.
The National Security Guard lost an experienced counter-Improvised Explosive Device officer to a deadly booby trap in the Pathankot terror attack as the terrorists used an innovative technique whose antidote was not included in the Standard Operating Procedure of the elite counter-terror force.
Adding more muscles to the capability of fighting against terrorists across India, the Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram on Wednesday declared the regional hub of elite National Security Guards at Hyderabad operational, and dedicated it to the service of the nation.
At least nine people were injured when a blast took place at Rameshwaram Cafe in Brookfield in East Bengaluru on March 1.
'Since I felt there could be more, I had told the local authorities to screen every hostage carefully, since we felt that some could have been staying as guests.' Former NSG director general J K Dutt in an exclusive interview.
Criticising the strong reactions from India over China blocking its bid to enter NSG, a state-run daily on Monday said India is "still stuck" in the 1962 war mindset as it called for a more objective evaluation of Beijing's stand.
The lingering boundary issue will also feature in his talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and other leaders, says R Rajagopalan, who will travel to Beijing with the President.
The United States on Friday said that there is "a path forward" for India to become a full member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group by the end of the year, hours after the group's plenary meeting ended in Seoul with no decision on India's membership in face of strong China-led opposition.
In an attempt to kickstart the process of setting up National Security Guard hubs in the country in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday discussed the matter with Army and NSG Chiefs. During the hour-long meeting, Chidambaram sought assistance from the army to operationalise the hubs in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad in the first phase, Home Ministry sources said.
India could expect the support of Japan at the upcoming Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting, with a senior official of the country saying that Tokyo understands New Delhi's energy needs and would adopt an approach that strengthens the non-proliferation regime.Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kazuo Kodama noted that Tokyo had gone with consensus at the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors meeting on India-specific safeguards despite having reservations.
A Cabinet Committee on Security meeting will be held on Tuesday, which will take up the issue of deployment of NSG in places like Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, where there is a need for beefing up security.
The Nuclear Suppliers Group finally gave its nod to the India-specific waiver on Saturday.The decision came after the NSG held fresh rounds of unscheduled discussions on grant of a waiver for India, after marathon parleys on Friday failed to produce a consensus, with China joining a clutch of countries having reservations over the move.Diplomats from 45 countries constituting the nuclear cartel had been engaged in hectic and tough negotiations.
Russia on Friday assured that India would continue to enjoy the waiver it received in 2008 from the Nuclear Suppliers Group's export ban and Moscow wants New Delhi's full participation in the 45-nation grouping that regulates global atomic commerce. Russia's assurance came after India objected to the new guidelines adopted in June by the NSG on the export of nuclear enrichment and reprocessing equipment.
Despite its strong views on non-proliferation issues, Switzerland is unlikely to block the waiver for India at the NSG meet even as it officially says it is yet to firm up its stand on the matter.
Preceding the two-day plenary of the 48-member NSG, which began on Thursday, China had repeatedly said that India's membership was not on the agenda and is said to have made every effort to prevent any discussion on India's bid.
Ahead of the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, India has said it will not accept the waiver from the 45-nation grouping if the 'red lines' set by it are crossed. National Security Adviser M K Narayanan made it clear that inclusion of any clause on testing, periodic review or denial of enrichment and reprocessing technology in the text of the NSG waiver would be unacceptable and hoped a way around these issues would be found through diplomatic efforts.
India's efforts to join the grouping suffered a setback in June when the NSG plenary decided against accepting its membership application after China and some other nations opposed entry of a non- Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory.
The NSG will work along with the Special Investigation Team and the City Crime Branch.
The National Security Guard, which is engaged in a gun battle with the terrorists at Taj Hotel in Mumbai, said all but one terrorists were killed in the encounter and hoped to wrap up the flush-out operation at the Trident-Oberoi hotel and Nariman House very soon."There is one terrorist in the Taj Hotel. He has been injured and I think we will be able to mop up the operation there very quickly," Director General of NSG J K Dutt said.
In a significant development, Australia on Tuesday promised to support the Indo-US civil nuclear deal in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and indicated its readiness to supply uranium to India.
US Ambassador to India David C Mulford, who is in Vienna for meetings on the sidelines of the two-day NSG meeting considering India's case ending Friday, told NDTV that Washington thinks that eventually a consensus would be arrived at on the issue, but it does not not know how quickly.
To thwart any aerial threat during the Commonwealth Games, about 150 personnel of the Delhi Police's Special Weapons and Tactics Team have been trained by the Indian Air Force and the National Security Guard to shoot down suspicious manned and unmanned "flying objects".
In a significant announcement during United States President Barack Obama's visit, the US on Saturday said it will support India's full membership in the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group and three other multilateral export control regimes.
Wang and Swaraj also discussed issues relating to annual BRICS summit which will be hosted by India in Goa in October.
A former National Security Guard commando, who fought terrorists in the 26/11 attack and was invalidated from service after he became medically unfit, on Thursday claimed he has not got any financial benefits or pension and the money 'gifted' to him and his colleagues.
The Mumbai CP said that shifting of IPL semi-finals due to the spate of bomb blasts in Bengaluru recently to Navi Mumbai is a compliment to capability of the Mumbai and Maharashtra police.
