The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government today hurriedly cleared the decks for a long-pending nuclear regulatory authority at a top-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The step was taken in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan coupled with the fear of another Anna Hazare-type protest in Jaitapur, Maharashtra, over the proposed nuclear power plant. In the meeting, Singh emphasised the need for an independent and autonomous authority to oversee the safety and security concerns of nuclear plants. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, which had been opposing the formation of the new body for the past few years, dropped its objections following the Prime Minister