"India is now a nuclear weapon state. This is a reality that cannot be denied. It is not a conferment that we seek; nor is it a status for others to grant", Vajpayee told the Lok Sabha in his much-awaited statement on the two sets of nuclear tests held on May 11 and 13 in Pokhran, Rajasthan.

In a significant proposal, the Prime Minister announced that India is willing to move towards a "de-jure formalisation" of its earlier announcement to observe a voluntary moratorium on conducting underground nuclear test explosions, in effect sign up the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

India's formalisation of its moratorium would meet the basic obligation of the CTBT, and would convey to the international community the"seriousness of India's intent for a meaningful engagement", the Prime Minister said expanding on last week's moratorium offer by India.

Significantly, the Prime Minister's statement makes no reference to China or to Pakistan, though the Baratiya Jananta Party government had chosen to use the threat perception from China to justify its decision to conduct the nuclear tests.

The proposals put forward by the Prime Minister in his suo motu statement to the House were further elaborated by a paper entitled "Evolution of India's Nuclear Policy" tabled simultaneously in the House.

Taken together, the Prime Minister's statement and the nuclear policy paper give a fairly expansive elucidation of the BJP government's formulation of its future agenda with regard to nuclear tests, relations with Pakistan and arms control negotiations in the international arena.

Indicating a new accommodative position on international arms control talks, the government also proposed India's readiness to participate in the FissileMaterial Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) negotiations in Geneva. The approach would be to ensure that the evolving FMCT would be universal and non-discriminatory and backed by an effective verification mechanism.

The Prime Minister recalled that New Delhi had in 1994 proposed that India and Pakistan jointly undertake not to be the first to use their nuclear capability against each other.

Once again today, India was ready to discuss a "no first use" agreement with Islamabad as also with other countries.

In yet another categorical assurance, intended to set at rest the anxiety in the international community following India's tests, the government stated that India would not indulge in an arms race.

"India shall also not subscribe or reinvent the doctrines of the Cold War", Vajpayee stated.

The Prime Minister also said that India would remain committed to the basic tenets of its foreign policy -- a conviction that global elimination of nuclear weapons would enhance its security as well as that of the rest of theworld.

"It (India) will continue to urge countries, particularly other nuclear weapon states to adopt measures that would contribute meaningfully" to the objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

The country's new-found nuclear status would only buttress its responsibilities towards maintaining effective export controls on nuclear materials and related technologies, even though India was not a party to the NPT nor a member of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.

In an aside, the government noted that India's conduct in this regard was better than some countries who were a party to the NPT.

Referring to the backdrop of the Pokharan tests, the government maintained that it had to ensure that the country's nuclear option was not eroded by a voluntary self-imposed restraint.

"The only touchstone that guided it was national security," the policy paper noted.

Citing the numerous proposals India had made towards the phased elimination of nuclear weapons, the Prime Minister observed that theseproposals did not receive a positive response from other nuclear weapons states. "Had their response been positive, India need not have gone for the current tests," he said.