Govt unveils draft safeguards pact

The agreement also envisages support for Indian effort to develop a strategic reserve of nuclear fuel. India may also take corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted operation of its civilian nuclear reactors.

The Government has unveiled the text of safeguards agreement reached with International Atomic Energy Agency.

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The draft nuclear safeguards pact India submitted to the IAEA contained ambiguities that had to be clarified before the UN watchdog approved the deal, a leading expert said.

The IAEA said the safeguards text, which India hammered out with IAEA inspectors early this year and is a key element in a landmark 2005 US-Indian nuclear cooperation deal, had been sent to the agency's 35-nation board in Vienna after the New Delhi government gave the green light.

The draft, which was circulated by Washington-based think tanks, contained several points that "raise questions that board members need to get clarity on" because they would restrict international monitoring of India's atomic programs, said Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association.