NEW DELHI: India on Monday decided not to join the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership ( RCEP ) trade deal , saying that its key concerns over the agreement have not been addressed, sources said."There will be no compromise on core interests. RCEP agreement does not reflect its original intent," top government sources said.Sources added that India's stand is a mixture of pragmatism, the urge to safeguard interests of the poor and the effort to give an advantage to India's service sector."Our farmers, traders, professionals and industries have stakes in such decisions. Equally important are the workers and consumers, who make India a huge market and the third biggest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. When I measure the RCEP agreement with respect to the interests of all Indians, I do not get a positive answer. Therefore, neither the Talisman of Gandhiji nor my own conscience permit me to join RCEP," PM Modi said.The Modi government had taken a tough stand over the mega Asian trade pact, pointing out several concerns — ranging from the base year for tariff reduction to protection against Chinese imports and opening up services sector by the other 15 countries.Indian officials had made it clear that the Modi administration is unwilling to accept any deadline and wanted the country’s interests to be fully protected.There was no credible assurance for India on market access and non-tariff barriers. India also had very valid concerns on keeping 2014 as the base year for tariff reductions, sources said.Asserting that India will no longer give in to pressure from global powers on trade issues, the sources said that India is playing on the front foot this time.Read this story in Marathi