Quick Reaction Teams in Place to Meet Nuclear Threats: Govt

New Delhi, Aug 2 (UNI) Nucleared India -- with an equally armed yet naughty neighbour -- has in place Quick Reaction Teams specially equipped to meet ''any eventuality'' in case of an atomic attack, the Government has informed a high-powered Parliamentary Committee.

As part of new measures to speed up the preparedness of the country's Armed Forces to fight in a nuclear war scenario, the Army has set up Nuclear Quick Reaction Teams in all its Commands and a special unit for the capital -- and armed these personnel with special equipment, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence was informed.

The troops in forward areas had also been equipped with ''minimum individual protective equipment'' and trained in mitigation techniques, decontainment drills and evacuation of the affected populace.

Besides, the Defence Ministry informed the Parliamentary Committee that an 'Armed Forces Institute of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) Protection' had been set up to frame training programmes for all Service personnel.

''These trained personnel would then go back to their parent units and disseminate the acquired knowledge and skills of NBC protection,'' the Government said.

Observing that India faced an increased NBC warfare threat, the Parliamentary Committee had recommended that training of Armed Forces Medical Service (AFMS) personnel to cope with such threats be speeded up.

''The threat of non-coventional wars, including nuclear wars, has increased and the country has to be well prepared to meet any eventuality in case of such a attack,'' the Committee has noted in its latest Report tabled in Parliament today.

UNI DG VD RaI1858