Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

About

• • It is one of the maximum widely adhered-to arms control agreements signed in 1968 and entered into force in 1970.
  • It was prolonged indefinitely in 1995.

• Membership Provisions (Two Categories):

• • Nuclear-Weapon States (NWS): These are the five countries that had examined nuclear weapons before January 1, 1967 — United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom.
  • Non-Nuclear-Weapon States (NNWS): All different signatories agree now not to pursue nuclear weapons and to accept IAEA safeguards on their nuclear activities.

• NPT established a 3-pillar framework:
• • Non-Proliferation: NWS agreed not to switch nuclear weapons or help NNWS in acquiring them.
  • Disarmament: All events committed to pursuing negotiations closer to nuclear disarmament.
  • Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy: To access nuclear technology for non violent purposes under IAEA safeguards.
• Withdrawal Clause (Article X of NPT): It lets any nation exit if it determines that ‘quality events’ have jeopardized its splendid national interests, provided it offers 3 months’ notice to different signatories and the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Present Status

• A total of 191 States have joined the Treaty, along with the 5 nuclear-weapon States.
• India, Pakistan, South Sudan and Israel never joined the treaty, but they’re recognised or believed to possess nuclear weapons.
• North Korea joined the NPT in 1985 but withdrew in 2003.

India’s Approach NPT

• India’s function at the Treaty has remained constant since the treaty’s inception in 1968.
• India’s primary objection lies within the treaty’s department of the world into nuclear ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’.
• India’s refusal to sign was based on ‘enlightened self-interest and considerations of national security’, as highlighted by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Parliament.

India’s Alternative Vision

• India has constantly recommended for a general, non-discriminatory, and verifiable disarmament regime.
• India has proposed a Nuclear Weapons Convention that could ban the development, manufacturing, and use of nuclear weapons globally.
• Voluntary Commitments and Responsible Conduct By India:
  • It maintains a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.
  • It adheres to a No First Use (NFU) policy.
  • It has implemented stringent export controls and aligned with international regimes just like the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Wassenaar Arrangement.
• India’s 2008 Civil Nuclear Agreement with the US and next waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in addition stated its responsible nuclear conduct.

Concerns & Challenges

• Disarmament Stalemate: Critics argue that nuclear-weapon states have not made sufficient progress closer to disarmament (Article VI of Treaty), undermining the treaty’s credibility.
• Non-Compliance and Withdrawal: North Korea’s withdrawal and Iran’s contested nuclear activities have tested the treaty’s enforcement mechanisms.
• Technological Dual-Use Dilemma: Peaceful nuclear technology can be diverted for weapons development, raising issues about proliferation risks.

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