Singh's comments come ahead of a May conference in New York called to review the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which bans the transfer of nuclear weapons and the technology to make them.

Singh did not name rival Pakistan but made it clear that recent disclosures of proliferation from the neighbouring country was one of the reasons India is staying away from the nuclear treaty.

"The infirmities of the non-proliferation order have imposed costs on India and have had adverse impact on our security, as much of the clandestine proliferation which is today the focus of attention emanates from our neighbourhood," said Singh.

"The response of the international community over the years has been, from our point of view, inadequate at best or permissive at worst, leading to the present adverse situation," he told a two-day conference on "Emerging Nuclear Proliferation Challenges."

"Even today we see the same inconsistencies in approach with selective focus on the recipients of such clandestine proliferation but not enough attention on the sources of supply.

"India has an abiding interest in non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction not just for its own security but for peace and security of the world at large."

Pakistan has been caught up in a row over nuclear proliferation since February 2004, when its disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan confessed to passing atomic technology to North Korea, Libya and Iran.

Khan is under virtual house arrest but Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf pardoned him and has refused to let foreign countries or the International Atomic Energy Agency question him.

Since 1968 some 188 nations have put their names to the NPT.

Signatories include the five main nuclear powers - Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States - but not emerging nuclear states India and Pakistan or suspected nuclear state Israel.

Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in May 1998 after rival India conducted similar detonations. Both countries have active missile programmes.

Pakistan and India have a bitter history of confrontation, mainly over the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir. But they have been engaged in a peace dialogue since January last year.

Singh said India was acting responsibly.

"India may not be a party to the NPT but our conduct has always been consistent with the key provisions of the treaty," he said in reply to questions on New Delhi's stand on the pact.

India says the treaty imposes stricter conditions on fledgling nuclear states than on established nuclear powers.

"Our behaviour is in sharp contrast to the poor record of some of the nuclear weapon states who have been active collaborators, or silent spectators, to continuing clandestine and illegal proliferation, including export of nuclear weapons or technology," Singh said.

India also refuses to endorse the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty but since 1998 has imposed a moratorium on further testing.

"We are fulfilling all the commitments that go in being a responsible nuclear power acting with utmost restraint," said Singh.

"Our unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests continues to remain in place."

All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

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