INDIA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS POLICY: CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS

The Cold War tended to divide the world into two blocs on ideological basis, namely the capitalist bloc headed by USA and the communist bloc headed by the former USSR. In such a situation of ‘Cold War’, India refused to join any of these two blocs and adopted a policy of non-alignment which further enhanced India’s Nuclear Weapon Policy. India is now a nuclear weapon state which shaped its policy through strategic interests, security concerns & commitment to global non-proliferation norms. The aim of this paper is to analyze the India’s stance on Nuclear Weapon Policy and how much India acquired. Indeed, the foundation of India’s Nuclear Weapon Policy is guided by the principles of no-first use policy (NFU), minimum credible deterrence and non-proliferation. The benefits of India’s Nuclear Weapon Policy include strategic deterrence, national security, nuclear agreements and enabled energy security. Furthermore, India’s nuclear weapon policy faces several challenges such as Pakistan’s tactical nuclear weapons, conundrum of NFU policy and growing China’s military and its nuclear capabilities. Another significant challenge faced by India is nuclear terrorism. The objective of this paper is attempts to demystify the Indian view of nuclear proliferation and disarmament. This paper is broadly divided into four sections: the first section deals with the basic rationales behind India’s acquisition of nuclear weapons. The second section analyses the negotiations with NPT, CTBT and NSG waiver. The third section will examine India, as an emerging power with recent nuclear innovation, its benefits and its challenges. The final section of this paper will assess the extent of India nuclear weapon policy towards nuclear non- proliferation regimes and the synopsis of Budget 2025 towards India’s Nuclear Weapon Policy. Towards the end of this paper, it likely to assess India’s Nuclear Weapon Policy with recent negotiations as India continues to navigate the complexities of nuclear politics, it must carefully balance its national security interests with regional & global responsibilities.