NEW DELHI: Ahead of the annual plenary session of the Nuclear Suppliers Group , which is expected to discuss the case of India’s membership to the coveted global body, the country has questioned Nuclear Threat Initiative NTI ) for rating the security arrangements at its nuclear installations as poor and below mark. India has said that it follows some of the best practices of many advanced countries.NTI – a Washington-based non-profit body which aims to strengthen global security by reducing the risk of use and preventing the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons – makes the assessment of the security mechanisms in countries having at least one kg of enriched uranium and publishes its assessment annually. It has been rating the security implementations at the Indian nuclear installations as “poor and not up to the mark”. NTI places India among the nations having poor practices with regard to nuclear security implementations, government officials told ET.However, according to a recent study conducted by the Narendra Modi government, India follows some of the best practices in the world. Officials said that field visits conducted by Indian experts to some of the vital nuclear facilities in UK, Japan and France confirmed that the country complies with best practices equivalent to those being followed in these countries.The move to question NTI’s assessment follows apprehensions that its rating could be used to stall India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group or NSG. The India-US nuclear deal signed in October 2008 ended India’s isolation in the global nuclear order. In 2008, the NSG, which normally prohibits its members from nuclear commerce with states which have not signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), agreed on a special waiver in the case of India. Since then, India has been trying to enter the NSG amid opposition from some member states including China.India and the US have held wide-ranging discussions on entry into the NSG, including during US President Barack Obama’s last visit to the country. The government said that NTI’s assessment is flawed on account of security as India has taken adequate steps and measures to prevent any attack on its nuclear facilities by terrorists from across the border.“Security and safety measures at the country’s nuclear sites, including during the disposal of nuclear and radiological materials, have been made more stringent. Use of technology to minimise human element both to avoid possible errors as well as to deal with insider threats has been increased. Unlike NTI’s evaluations, India’s nuclear security measures are comparable to best practices globally,” an official said.India’s security agencies have been tasked with constantly working on improving their ability to respond quickly and effectively and in a coordinated manner during emergency like attack on a nuclear power plant or nuclear facility.Though not unique to India, the population density in India’s urban centres increases the vulnerabilities and the possible casualty levels in the event of an attack. The Department of Atomic Energy is working on integrated drills involving security both within the perimeter and outside operating in unison, officials said.Various rules were established under the 1962 Atomic Energy Act to address security related issues of India’s nuclear programme. “India has been steadfast in its adherence to the instruments and norms stipulated by the global nuclear security regime,” an expert said.The Central Industrial Security Force is in charge of providing security to nuclear facilities in the country. Each nuclear facility is guided by a CISF team headed by a commandant. At many sites, the CISF team is supplemented by a Special Task Force.India is pursuing development of nuclear power plants by using a mix of indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors, fast breeder reactors and light water reactors based on foreign technical cooperation and fuelled by imported enriched uranium. Beyond 2030, India plans a large expansion based on fast breeder reactors and later thorium-based reactors as part of its closed fuel cycle approach, officials said.