Sumantra Das What are the positions of Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama and his Republican counterpart John McCain on the Indo-US nuclear deal, outsourcing, climate change and other issues that could affect India? As of now, here's where they stand. Indo-US nuclear deal / 123 agreement Obama: Promises to build a "close strategic partnership' with New Delhi and voted for the deal in 2006 but he had introduced the "killer amendments' that deny lifetime supplies of nuclear fuels to future Indian reactors. He is stringent about the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). He also favours strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) so that nations that do not comply face international sanctions. McCain: Believes that the Indo-US nuclear accord will strengthen ties between the world's largest democracies and will involve India in the fight against proliferation. Wants to actively engage India and Pakistan to improve the security of nuclear stockpiles. Outsourcing Obama: Outsourcing of American jobs to India and China cannot be reversed, nor can challenges on economic front be overcome by building "protectionist walls'. Says revolutions in communication and technology are forcing "children in Raleigh and Boston to compete for those jobs with children in Bangalore and Beijing'. McCain: Also believes that outsourcing is unavoidable in the globalised world. Energy Obama: Nuclear energy does figure on Obama's "menu of energy options'--if it is cost-effectively produced and can be securely stored. Wants to fund renewable energy to the tune of $ 15 billion a year for 10 years, paid for by auctioning off permits to companies that emit greenhouse gases, so that the "addiction to foreign oil' ends and a green economy can be built. McCain: Wants to build 45 new nuclear reactors to address the energy problem. Eager to tap domestic oil reserves. Does not support a big government effort to fund renewables, relies instead on greenhouse gas restrictions and lower corporate taxes to spur private sector investment. Supports ending subsidies for US ethanol production from corn, because these are "destroying the market' and causing a "serious problem with inflation'. Al Qaida/ Taliban Obama: Has drawn flak from the McCain camp for publicly proposing a possible invasion of Pakistan's border areas if US has a solid evidence on Al Qaida whereabouts. McCain: Also supports US Army's unilateral action inside Pakistan. Guantanamo Bay/ Iraq Obama: Supports a pullout of US troops from Iraq with no interest in building permanent bases there. Favours closing down the notorious Gitmo detention centre. On the right of appeal for prisoners believes that "we can abide by basic concepts of rule of law and still crack down on terrorists'. McCain: On Iraq, argues a gradual withdrawal of troops but against an early withdrawal His plan calls for the removal of one or two brigades a month. Also supports closing down Gitmo but says Obama's method of treating the war on terror as a law enforcement problem is flawed. Iran Obama: Says that the world must work to stop Iran's uranium enrichment programme and that it is far too dangerous to have nuclear weapons in the hands of a "radical theocracy'. McCain: Says he opposes any government (like Iran's) that supports the destruction of Israel. Climate Change Obama: Supports the Kyoto Protocol. McCain: Has identified China and India as "among the greatest contributors to global warming today'. Says they would have to share the burden with industrialized countries to reduce emissions. G-8 McCain: Has promised to back the entry of Brazil and India a larger Group of Eight industrial nations. Obama: Yet to comment.