US Congress passes N-deal without amendments
Washington: The US House of Representatives has passed the landmark legislation which approves the US-India nuclear agreement by a massive 359-68 margin. The House also rejected several proposed amendments to the deal.

Among the supporters were 218 Republicans and 141 Democrats while nine Republicans and 59 Democrats opposed the deal.

The House rejected three amendments that would have scuttled the deal.

The first amendment would have resulted in the US auditing India's fissile material stock annually. It was rejected by a 155- 268 margin.

Another amendment that would restrict export to uranium to India until the President certified that New Delhi had frozen its fissile material production was rejected 184-241.

When these two amendments were defeated, opponents of the agreement tried to link the deal to India further supporting US in its campaign against Iran. But that too was defeated 192-235 by supporters who argued that New Delhia had already proved its credentials as a U.S partner opposed to nuclear proliferation in the Iran context.

The only significant amendment that was approved without contest enjoins the United States to only support India's civilian nuclear program, and not any nuclear weapons capability enhancement.

After five hours of deliberations, arguments and legislative procedures, the United States and India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006, to be renamed the Hyde Amendment after the lawmaker who engineered it, was passed by a 369-58 margin.

The Act will permit India to buy reactors and fuel from the international market for the first time in more than 30 years (subject to final approval and international consent), despite the fact it has still not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It will in effect mark the end of India's nuclear isolation and possibly arrange the global strategic architecture.
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CII offers alternative to job reservations
New Delhi: CII President R Seshasayee, ASSOCHAM President Anil Agarwal and J J Irani, who chaired a CII-appointed panel on job reservations in the private sector, submitted the Irani committee report that opposed "curtailment of freedom of employers" in the matter of employment. The report is understood to have promised to help Dalits to get jobs, sources said, adding that the industry has agreed to create 100 entrepreneurs from the SC/ST categories in one year.

The Irani committee was formed by CII and ASSOCHAM to suggest ways and means to help the backward people to get employment to avoid any legislation by the government in this regard. The report has categorically stated that any recommendation of the Irani panel on affirmative action would be implemented on voluntary basis and there would be no law to regulate it.

The details of the report will be disclosed on Friday.
Meanwhile a section of the industry has voluntarily offered to provide reservation in private jobs to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
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