An intervention that leads to more questions (India's nuclear no-first-use doctrine)

Excellent study material for all civil services aspirants - begin learning - Kar ke dikhayenge!

 An intervention that leads to more questions (India's nuclear no-first-use doctrine)

---

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

---

• NFU changed by a tweet : The Defence Minister (DM) tweeted about changing a key pillar of India's nuclear doctrine. He said that future commitments to the no-first-use (NFU) will depend on circumstances.
• Dynamic : Indeed, all military strategies are dynamic, but the present declaration has come without any visible deliberations. The question is - what changed in India's outlook that one of the two pillars need to change?
• NFU : India and China have the No First Use policy for nuclear weapons. The Jan.4, 2003 statement by CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) issued a 7 point summary. 

1. India to have a credible minimum deterrence
2. India avows a No First Use posture, with nuclear weapons to be used only in retaliation
3. to (7) - related to (1) and (2).

• What NFU does : By saying that "India reserves the right to retaliate to any nuclear strike with a strike that will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage", the NFU raised the nuclear threshold dramatically. Why? To bring stability.
• Timeline and history :

1. 1998 - Nuclear tests by both India and Pakistan
2. National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) set up - 27 members - convenor K Subrahmanyam
3. August 17, 1999 - Caretaker BJP govt. released a draft Nuclear Doctrine
4. Sept. 1999 - National elections were held
5. No discussions in the Parliament
6. 2001-02 - Operational Parakram; world feared a nuclear war in subcontinent
7. 2003 - CCS adopted the Doctrine, and NFU was retained. GoI restates commitment to restraint.

• Restraint served India well : The ability to hold itself back has enabled India's position in the nuclear mainstream. India's  application for waiver in 2008 for NSG was due to it. India's joining the Missile Technology Control Regime MTCR, Wassenaar Arrangement WA and Australia Group AG was largely due to this policy of 'restraint'.
• What are nuclear weapons for : Either we treat them as instruments of war (as Bharat Karnad wanted to - as member of the NSAB), or we treat them as weapons of last resort, used primarily to deter.
• A changed India : Today, the "restraint" policy is up for review. In an environment when Indian economy is struggling, Jammu and Kashmir is yet to stabilise and federalism in India is being challenged, this change is an interesting development!
• Summary : Restraint has always been the pillar of Indian nuclear policy, and once that is dumped, everything changes.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

Join UPSC Self Prep course | Online Course (PT Gurukul)  | Covid Special Course | Join PT courses

* Content sourced from free internet sources (publications, PIB site, international sites, etc.). Take your own subscriptions. Copyrights acknowledged.