US Removes 3 Indian Nuclear Entities from Restrictive List
US president Joe Biden with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
India’s Leading Nuclear Research Entities Out of US Restrictive List
By Raisina Correspondent
New Delhi, January 15: In a major development, the US has taken off three key entities off the restrictive list ahead of the inauguration of the Donald Trump presidency. The US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) on Wednesday announced that India’s two leading nuclear research centres will be out of the restrictive list.
“After an interagency review, BIS modified one existing entry on the Entity List, under the destination of India, by removing three entities within the entry,” said the BIS under the Congressional office of Public Affairs in a statement.
Indian Rare Earths, Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Center (IGCAR), and Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) have now come out of the restrictive list of the US. The move is significant as the three entities are known to be the leading players in India’s civilian nuclear energy programme.
“The review by which three Indian entities exit the restrictive list will support U.S. foreign policy objectives by reducing barriers to advanced energy cooperation, including joint research and development and science and technology cooperation, towards shared energy security needs and goals,” said the BIS in the statement.
It also underlined that the “United States and India share a commitment to advancing peaceful nuclear cooperation and associated research and development activities, with strengthened science and technology cooperation over the past several years that has benefitted both countries and their partner countries around the world”.
India and the US had signed civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreement in 2008. India and the US have in the last 15 years have signed a number of pacts to enhance cooperation in critical technology, as well as cooperation for rare earth metals.
While the US removed three key Indian entities from the restrictive list, Washington added as many as 11 entities of China in the restrictive list. The decision appears to signal that the US and China faceoff on the global stage may gain further momentum.
“Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added 11 entities to the Entity List, under the destination of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), for activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests,” said the statement.
It stated that “10 entities were added due to their advancement of the PRC’s military modernization through the development and integration of advanced artificial intelligence research”. The US noted that “one entity was added for its involvement in development of lithography technology for advanced-node fabrication facilities in China”.
“This technology will enable indigenous production in China of advanced integrated circuits for military end-use,” said the BIS in the statement.
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