US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI3392

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 003392 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2015 
TAGS: PREL, ETTC, KNNP, TBIO, TSPA, IN, GOI, Export Control Initiatives 
SUBJECT: CABINET PASSES LANDMARK EXPORT CONTROL LAW -- 
ACTION MOVES TO PARLIAMENT 
 
REF: NEW DELHI 3270 
 
Classified By: Charge Robert O. Blake, Jr., for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1. (C) Speaking with PolCouns on April 5, PMO Director 
Venkatash Verma confirmed reports from that morning's papers 
that the Cabinet had approved the Weapons of Mass Destruction 
and their Delivery Systems (Prevention of Unlawful 
Activities) Bill, which will be introduced in Parliament in a 
matter of days.  Verma, whose involvement with the NSSP goes 
back to September 2003, indicated that the content of the law 
was to some degree dictated by US-India benchmarks, adding 
that the text "contains all the elements spelled out in NSSP 
Phase II," and goes significantly beyond.  He noted that the 
bill had been moved through the Indian government in record 
time -- about 3-4 months -- in response to a strong Prime 
Ministerial directive.  Without this "commitment and pressure 
from the PMO," Verma added, pulling together the various 
concerned ministries would have taken much longer. 
 
2. (C) The bill will become a public document upon its 
introduction to the legislature, at which point it becomes 
"Parliamentary property."  Although not in a position to 
share a text, Verma (who was clearly proud of his handiwork) 
characterized the bill as "very solid legislation that covers 
UNSCR 1540, strengthens existing provisions of law by making 
it sharper, deeper and more focused and covers what we needed 
to do under the NSSP."  Continuing in this vein, Verma 
explained that the bill dovetails with existing Indian 
legislation across the spectrum of WMD threats, and "for 
those of us who have followed the issue will meet the highest 
standards." 
 
3. (C) Verma highlighted the GOI's long-standing political 
commitment to preventing the onward proliferation if India's 
WMD and delivery system technologies, and explained that the 
bill had been drafted with a view to addressing "not just 
concerns we are familiar with, but also threats that could 
emerge over time." Verma expressed the hope that this action 
will be seen in the spirit in which it is intended, and noted 
that the PMO's commitment to moving on this key bilateral 
benchmark had helped to change attitudes in the concerned 
ministries, so that it is no longer just the Ministry of 
External Affairs that supports the government's 
counter-proliferaton agenda. 
 
4. (C) The PMO Director was reluctant to make any predictions 
about passage of the legislation, citing the unpredictable 
dynamic of Indian democracy.  However, he emphasized the 
strong national consensus in favor of preserving India's 
export control reputation, and expressed the hope that the 
bill would be passed into law quickly.  He also drew a 
connection to the Prime Minister's July visit to Washington, 
implying that the PMO would remain engaged with a view to 
achieving passage, completing this NSSP Phase III benchmark, 
and opening the door for a more ambitious US-India agenda on 
strategic issues. 
BLAKE