January 11, 2003	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 7, 1423

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NEW DELHI, Jan 10: India on Friday appointed Air Marshall Teja Mohan Asthana as commander-in-chief of the newly set up command and control system for the country’s nuclear forces.

The 58-year-old Asthana, one of the most senior Indian air force officers, will takeover on Sunday, an official statement said.

India’s cabinet on last Saturday decided to form a Nuclear Command Authority with two bodies, an executive council to coordinate the administrative work chaired by national security adviser Brajesh Mishra and a political council headed by Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

It empowered the political council headed by Mr Vajpayee with ultimate command of the nuclear forces.

The cabinet said the commander-in-chief would manage the nuclear forces and execute the orders of the nuclear command authority.—AFP