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KOLKATA: Ending months of speculation, the central government has given the green signal for India's associate membership to CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, a top ministry official said here on Saturday.

"The government has approved India's associate membership of CERN. But it will take about a year for formalities to be completed. Because now it will be for the CERN council to go through the formalities. That is the normal time," a scientist with the science and technology ministry told the media here.