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As part of the fight against terrorism, the Cabinet on Tuesday approved India's accession to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.
With this, India will complete adherence to all the 12 universal instruments, which are accepted as benchmarks for a state's commitments in the fight against international terrorism and are referred to in the UN Security Council resolution 1373, a government spokesperson said.
The 1980 convention provides a legal basis to physical protection measures for nuclear material, which have been evolved over time by International Atomic Energy Agency.
It provides a framework for cooperation in protection against theft or unauthorised diversion of nuclear materials and obliges state parties to ensure physical protection of nuclear material during international transport.
India has already put in place the measures necessary to implement the provisions of the convention.
The convention, signed in Vienna and New York in 1980, came into force in February 1987 and till date 70 states are party to it.
During the past decade, the convention assumed increasing importance in the specific context of illicit trafficking of nuclear material.
India has been part of intensification of international efforts under the auspices of the IAEA to cooperate with all countries in prevention, detection and combating illicit trafficking in nuclear material.
The spokesperson said India shares the concern of the world community on this.
The convention provides a basis to request cooperation from states and cooperation among international organisations to sensitise all concerned about the threat of illicit trafficking.
The Cabinet also gave its ex-post-facto approval to a treaty signed with the United States on Mutual Legal Assistance in the investigation, prosecution and suppression of offences and proceedings related to criminal matters in the two countries.
The treaty, signed in October last year between visiting US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, provides necessary legal framework for seeking assistance from the US in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and other major offences including economic ones and organised crime.
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