The Indo-US relations with regard to the nuclear issues:
1. The US , besides countries like Canada, helped India establish nuclear power stations in 1963. But the cooperation came under clouds in 1970, because of India's peaceful nuclear explosion at Pokhran in 1974 and India's refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
2. In 1978, the US Congress passed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act in 1978. This law stipulated that uranium could be exported to those countries which allow all their nuclear plants to be inspected and safeguarded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It must not be forgotten that non-proliferation has been a steadfast goal of the US.
3. Major differences between the two countries over nuclear issues persisted. The US hoped that India would sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) of 1996. But India did not. When it detonated five nuclear bombs in May 1998 again at Pokhran and declared itself a nuclear weapons state, the US imposed military and economic sanctions. Bilateral relations seemed to have reached a lower level. But India stood its ground. For two years, a number of discussions were held between Jaswant Singh, the Foreign Minister of India and Strobe Talbott, the US deputy secretary of state.
4. Not since the early 1960s had the two countries engaged each other in such a serious and sustained fashion. These discussions transformed the bilateral relationship to a large extent.
5. In 1999 US Congress lifted some of the sanctions against India. This was the first among many such subsequent instances of easing of sanctions by Congress.
6. Recently, there is a growing awareness in the US to recognize India as a responsible country with nuclear weapons.
7. With India opening up its economy in the 1990s, investment by American companies rather than the aid came to be looked up as. more important.
8. The role of the young Indians in Information Technology (IT), i.e. computer hardware and software. Industry added a new dimension to the trade between India and the US.
9. Those IT professionals who settled down in the US became the most successful single ethnic group there. They helped create a different image of India in America.
