Nuclear Disarmament - History, Significance & Indias Stand on Nuclear Arms Control!

Nuclear disarmament is the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons. The outcome of this act is a world free of nuclear weapons. The process leading to complete nuclear disarmament is referred to as denuclearization.

Nuclear Disarmament is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the International Organisations subject in the General Studies Paper-2 syllabus as well as current events of international and national importance in UPSC prelims.

In this article, we shall study in detail the background of Nuclear Arms Controls, India’s Stand on Nuclear Weapons, and the importance of Nuclear Disarmament for UPSC.

Nuclear Disarmament – History, Significance & Indias Stand on Nuclear Arms Control:Downlaod PDF here!

What is Nuclear Disarmament?

Nuclear disarmament is the method of reducing and getting rid of nuclear weapons while also ensuring that nations without nuclear weapons cannot create them. Disastrous effects of nuclear war, as seen in World War II when the United States threw bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the campaign to denuclearize aims to put an end to the prospect of it. According to this ideology, the only way to achieve peace is by total disarmament of Nuclear weapons that have never been authorized for use.

• A historic international nuclear weapons ban treaty was agreed upon by the UN in 2017. 122 nations cast votes in favor.
• The new treaty will make it unlawful to create, test, produce, manufacture, obtain, possess, stockpile, transfer, use, or threaten nuclear weapons under international law. Additionally, it is prohibited to support or motivate others to engage in these actions. The UK government, however, declined to take part and even released a statement criticizing the deal.
• Existing nuclear-weapons-free zones, which include Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the South Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa, include 115 nations. Nuclear weapons are present in nine nations.

Which countries are supporting Nuclear Disarmament?

• While many countries have pledged to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons and components, certain areas have completed their denuclearization.
• In 1968, the Tlatelolco Treaty entered into force. It prohibited the development, testing, and other application of nuclear weapons in Latin America. After the Cuban Missile Crisis sparked widespread concern about the prospect of nuclear war, the study and development of this treaty got underway.
• The Treaty of Bangkok came into effect in 1997 and forbade the production and possession of nuclear weapons in a number of Southeast Asian countries. As states in this region were no longer involved in the nuclear politics of the United States and the Soviet Union, this pact was signed after the Cold War ended.
• The Treaty of Pelindaba forbids the production and possession of nuclear weapons on the African continent (all but South Sudan signed, entering it into force in 2009).
• The South Pacific is governed by the Rarotonga Treaty (1985), and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were declared nuclear-weapon-free states under the Central Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty.
• There are 91 signatories and 68 ratifications. India has neither ratified nor is a signatory of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

How can Nuclear Disarmament be achieved?

There are many factors from which Nuclear Disarmament can be achieved. Some of the factors are listed below.

• Measures for disarmament and arms control may be imposed on states, adopted unilaterally by a state, or reached between two or more states.
• Following Germany’s loss in World War I, the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 outlined extensive disarmament steps that Germany and its allies were to implement.
• Unilateral actions, such as a nation deciding on its own to scale back its military resources and capabilities. For example, Costa Rica made the decision to entirely abolish its armed forces in 1948, making it the only nation in the world to do so.
  • In 1991, President George H.W. Bush launched a unilateral program to destroy thousands of American tactical nuclear warheads in response to the changing post-Cold War environment.
  • President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union made a similar action in parallel.
• There are bilateral or multilateral disarmament and arms control agreements are also there so that states can negotiate.

Background on Nuclear Arms Control

• For the two major nuclear weapon nations, Russia (previously the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and the United States, nuclear arms control has been crucial in limiting the arms race and regulating their respective arsenals.
• The history of humanity is one of violence and battle, but it is also the narrative of countless attempts to establish and maintain peace as well as attempts to lessen the terrible effects of war.
• In the 19th century, global peace movements emerged in opposition to the development of ever-more-powerful weapons.
• In 1905, international efforts to reduce nuclear disarmament and armies gained pace. Together in 1899 and 1907, The Hague hosted international peace conferences that drew in the most developed nations in the globe.
• The diplomats were able to agree on norms for behavior in war, including the ban on the deployment of poison gas, despite their failure to reach a consensus on methods toward disarmament and principles for the peaceful resolution of international disputes.
  • Unfortunately, not all signatory governments upheld these norms and practices of war when World War I broke out shortly afterward.
• The fight for disarmament and armaments control gained new importance in the wake of the atrocities of the First World War.
• The use of biological weapons and poison gas was once again prohibited by the Geneva Protocol of 1925. Then, a number of other Geneva Conventions served as the cornerstones of international humanitarian law by establishing standards for the treatment of prisoners of war, among other things.
• The first World Disarmament Conference was held in 1932, bringing together country leaders to debate strategies for ending the use of offensive weapons after disarmament, as well as methods for averting future conflicts.
  • This initiative failed, though, particularly because Nazi Germany was heavily rearmed. Hitler expelled Germany from the League of Nations in 1933.
  • The League of Nations was established in 1919 and served as the foundation for the current United Nations.
• By the 1960s, there had been some progress when the parties had signed the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which forbade test explosions above land, in space, and underwater while continuing to permit subterranean testing.
  •  The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or simply the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, was signed in 1968. This global accord is still significant today.
• The CFE Treaty began limiting conventional weapons in Europe in 1990 as the Cold War came to an end.
  • The Chemical Weapons Convention came into effect in 1997, outlawing the ownership of chemical weapons and mandating the disposal of any stockpiles that signatory states may have. Nuclear disarmament also made progress.
• Despite the enormous arsenals that are still in place, disarmament and weapons control have tended to play a very limited role in international politics in the 21st century.
• Governments now concentrate on stopping the further spread of nuclear weapons since popular apprehension over the possibility of a nuclear calamity has decreased.

Study in detail about Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) with this link!

India’s Stand on Nuclear Weapons

The Nuclear Weapons Treaty (TPNW) has yet to be ratified or signed by India. Since 2018, India has continuously abstained from voting in favor of an annual resolution at the UN General Assembly that applauds the passage of the TPNW and urges other governments to sign, ratify, or accede to it “at the earliest practicable moment.”

About 160 nuclear bombs are in India’s force; they can be launched from missiles and, most likely, aircraft. They might be able to be launched from submarines as well. Between 1974 and 1998, India conducted a total of three nuclear tests. India spent an estimated US$2.3 billion in 2021 on the development and maintenance of its nuclear forces.

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India’s Stand on Nuclear Arms Control

• Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)
  • India did not take part in the discussions and has repeatedly stated that it will not become a party of the Treaty.
  • India opposes the Treaty and will not be subject to any responsibilities that might result from it.
  • According to India, neither does this Treaty create new standards or norms nor does it contribute to the evolution of customary international law.
  • India affirms its dedication to achieving disarmament of nuclear weapons.
• According to India’s Working Paper titled “Nuclear Disarmament,” presented to the UN General Assembly and the Conference on Disarmament, this objective can be accomplished through a step-by-step process supported by a universal commitment and an accepted global and non-discriminatory multilateral framework.
  • In this regard, India is in favor of the Conference on Disarmament, the only multilateral disarmament negotiating mechanism operating on a consensus basis, starting talks on a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention.
  • India is prepared to collaborate with every UN member state to achieve the goal of a nuclear-weapons-free world.
• As with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), India maintains that disarmament must be “non-discriminatory” and undertaken “on the basis of equality.”
  • This means that there must be no discriminating measures.
  • Although the NPT calls for the final abolition of nuclear weapons, no deadline has been set for this. India, a non-signatory to the NPT, advocates for total disarmament.

India & US Nuclear Deal

• India & US Nuclear Deal is the 123 Agreement that is signed between the United States of America and the Republic of India and is also known as the U.S.–India Civil Nuclear Agreement.
• The development of a strategic alliance between the United States and India has advanced under the direction of the President of the United States George W. Bush and then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. A complete list of objectives was unveiled by the two leaders in July 2005 as part of their renewed dedication to a close bilateral partnership.
• In launching this initiative, the United States and India have three common objectives:

• To remove core differences that impeded our strategic relationship for more than 30 years
• To support India’s economic growth and energy security in an environmentally sound way
• To strengthen the global nonproliferation regime.

• The Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative was officially launched by the United States and India on July 18, 2005. India will subject all of its civilian nuclear facilities to IAEA safeguards under the terms of this program.
• India’s safeguards agreement was approved by the IAEA Board of Governors on August 1, 2008, clearing the way for the Nuclear Suppliers Group to take India into consideration.
• A Nuclear Suppliers Group exemption is currently being requested by the United States in order to allow commerce with India’s burgeoning peaceful nuclear sector.
• The agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation that goes along with it will allow American and Indian businesses to collaborate in ways that will promote the development of India’s civil nuclear industry, produce a clean energy source that will benefit the environment, and give India greater energy security by providing reliable sources of energy for its sizable and expanding economy.
• India would broaden international safeguards as part of the broader program, abide by international nuclear and missile export regulations, maintain its voluntary ban on nuclear testing, and guarantee that all civil nuclear trade will be used solely for peaceful purposes.
• India will decrease the amount of nuclear infrastructure available for its weapons development by putting more of its reactors under safeguards. These commitments represent important advancements for international nonproliferation efforts.

What is India’s Nuclear Doctrine?

India’s Nuclear Doctrine is an important variable that determines nuclear stability, particularly in South Asia because the doctrine is usually regarded as being restricted. Nuclear doctrine, in general, relates to how a nuclear-armed nation employs its nuclear force throughout times of peace and war. There are three main pillars of the Nuclear Doctrine of India:

1. No-First-Use Policy.
2. Credible-Minimum-Deterrent.
3. Nuclear-Command-Authority (NCA)

To study in detail about Pillars of the Nuclear Doctrine of India. Visit the linked article.

Treaties Related To Essential Arms Control

The treaties related to essential arms control are listed in the table below.

Treaties Related To Essential Arms Control
Treaties	Year	Provisions
Antarctic Treaty	1959	Antarctic treaty is an agreement between twelve countries to preserve the continent of Antarctica’s benign condition. The following are prohibited in Antarctica: establishment of military bases military maneuvers stationing or testing of any type of weapon nuclear explosion radioactive waste disposal.
Hot Line Agreement	1963	It is a bilateral agreement that established a direct communications link between U.S. and Soviet heads of state for use in “times of emergency.”
Limited Test Ban Treaty	1963	It was signed by the UK, USSR, and the US in Moscow on 5 August 1963. It bans nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater.
Outer Space Treaty	1967	It entered into force on October 10, 1963. This treaty was ratified between the UK, USSR, and US which bans weapons of mass destruction in orbit around the Earth, on the moon, on any other celestial body, or in outer space.
Latin America Nuclear Free Zone Treaty	1967	This treaty is also known as the Treaty of Tlatelolco. It requires parties from Latin America to refrain from acquiring or possessing nuclear weapons and allow other nations to store or use nuclear weapons on their territory.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty	1968	This treaty allows only the nuclear weapon states to have nuclear weapons and stops others from acquiring them. There is five nuclear weapon states the US, USSR (later Russia), Britain, France, and China.
Seabed Treaty	1971	The Seabed Treaty bans the deployment of nuclear weapons or “weapons of mass devastation “beyond a 12-mile coastal zone.
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty I	1972	The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, as, started in November 1969 and ended in January 1972 with two documents They were both signed on May 26, 1972. the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty) the Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty	1972	This treaty bans the creation, testing, and use of mobile land-based, airborne, sea-based, and space-based systems and components.
Threshold Test Ban Treaty	1974	It establishes a nuclear “threshold,” by prohibiting tests having a yield exceeding 150 kilotons
Vladivostok Agreement	1974	This was a joint agreement between US and the Soviets concluding USSR and the United States should limit strategic offensive arms.
Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty	1976	The Threshold Test Ban Treaty did not include peaceful nuclear explosions, thus this bilateral agreement between the US and USSR forbids them.
Environmental Modification Convention	1977	This convention prohibits the hostile use of “environmental modification techniques” with widespread and long-lasting effects.
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty II Treaty (SALT II)	1979	SALT II’s main objective was to replace the Interim Agreement with a comprehensive, long-term Treaty that set substantial restrictions on strategic offensive military systems.
South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty	1985	It is a multilateral agreement among the nations of the South Pacific, which prohibits the testing, manufacture, and stationing of nuclear explosive devices, and the dumping of nuclear waste, within the zone
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)	1987	INF treaty is the first nuclear arms control agreement to actually reduce nuclear arms, rather than establish ceilings.
Ballistic Missile Launch Notification Agreement	1988	It is a treaty between the US and the USSR which covers a total coverage of all strategic ballistic missiles.
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)	1991	START cuts U.S. long-range nuclear warheads by 15%, and Soviet by 25%.
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II	1993	START II reduced the number of ballistic missiles and heavy bombers and the number of warheads deployed on them.
Pelindaba Treaty	1996	The treaty establishes an African Commission on Nuclear Energy. It is also known as African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty.
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)	1996	CTBT established a worldwide monitoring system to check air, water, and soil for signals that someone set off a nuclear explosion.
Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty/ Moscow Treaty	2002	It is a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Russia, limiting the strategic nuclear warheads apiece.
International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism	2005	This treaty aims to improve the global legal framework to counter terrorist threats.
New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START)	2010	Under the Treaty, the U.S. and Russia will be limited to significantly fewer strategic arms.

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