Information on INS Arihant damage cannot be divulged: Government

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New Delhi: The government on Wednesday declined to give information on the extent of damage and cost of repairs of the indigenously-built nuclear submarine INS Arihant, stating it cannot be done "in the interest of national security".

There were reports that INS Arihant had suffered major damage due to human error in 2017.

In a written response to a question in Lok Sabha on the extent of damage INS Arihant has suffered and the estimated cost of its repair, Subhash Bhamre, minister of state in the defence ministry, said: "The information cannot be divulged in the interest of national security".

The question was asked by BJD MP Pinaki Misra.

In response to another question on the new rules of public disclosure on defence information between India and France, Bhamre said the two countries have signed an agreement on 'Exchange and Reciprocal Protection of Classified or Protected Information'.

The pact was inked on March 10 when French President Emmanuel Macron was on an official visit.

"This agreement defines the common security regulations applicable to any exchange of classified and protected information between the two countries," Bhamre added.