Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)

 CONTEXT: Amid Russia’s war against Ukraine, Russian lawmakers have approved a bill revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL TREATIES FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT:

COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY:

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty to ban nuclear weapons test explosions and any other nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments.

It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996, but has not entered into force, as eight specific nations have not ratified the treaty. So far, 187 countries have signed the treaty and 178 have ratified it.

WHICH KEY COUNTRIES HAVEN’T RATIFIED CTBT?

Notably, for the treaty to enter into force, it must be signed and ratified by 44 specific nuclear technology holder countries (in its Annex 2), eight of which have yet to ratify the agreement: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States, according to the UN.

INDIA’S NUCLEAR DOCTRINE:

1. India embarked on the path of nuclear weapons development after its face-off with China in the 1962 war, followed by China carrying out nuclear tests in 1964 and in the subsequent years.
2. In 1974, under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, India conducted its first nuclear tests, Pokhran-I, dubbed as a “peaceful nuclear explosion”.
3. Despite more than two decades of international pressure that followed to make India abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons, India again carried out a test in May 1998, Pokhran-II, involving a fission device, a low-yield device, and a thermonuclear device.
4. Its successful execution meant that India had the ability to introduce nuclear warheads into its fast-developing missile programme.
5. A fortnight after the Pokhran-II tests, Pakistan also carried out similar tests, confirming progress with its nuclear weapons programme; since that time its nuclear arsenal has expanded rapidly.
6. In 1999, India came out with an explicit nuclear doctrine that committed, among other things, to NFU — that is it would never carry out a nuclear first-strike.
7. This doctrine emphasised “minimal deterrence, no first use and non-use against non-nuclear weapon states”.

Important Principles of India’s Nuclear Doctrine-

1. No First Use Policy
2. Massive Retaliation
3. Credible Minimum Deterrence
4. Nuclear Command Authority (NCA)- Headed by Prime Minister- Executive body that takes the final decision on use of nuclear weapon.

INDIA’S THREE STAGE NUCLEAR PROGRAM:

The Indian nuclear power programme, launched in 1954, envisaged a three-stage development of nuclear power generation from the country’s uranium and thorium resources.

The 3 stages of 3 Stage Nuclear Program are:

1. Natural uranium-fuelled Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), 
2. Fast breeder reactors (FBRs) using plutonium-based fuel, and
3. Advanced nuclear power systems using thorium.

NUCLEAR POLICIES AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL:

1. Partial Ban Treaty, 1963 – India ratified
2. Outer Space Treaty, 1964 – India not ratified
3. Non-Proliferation Treaty, 1974 – India not ratified
4. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, 1996 – India not ratified

EXPORT CONTROL REGIMES:

NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION TREATY:

It is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.

The NPT was negotiated during the 1960s. The treaty entered into force in 1970.

Three Pillars of NPT—

1. Controlling the further spread of nuclear weaponsbeyond the P-5 countries (the U.S., the U.S.S.R., the U.K, France and China) that had already tested;
2. Committing to negotiating reductions of nuclear arsenals leading to their elimination; and
3. Sharing benefits of peaceful applicationsof nuclear science and technology.

The treaty aims for complete disarmament. Out of the 9 nations with nuclear weapons, 5 (the US, France, the UK, Russia, and China) signed the NPT. India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea have not signed the NPT.

WHY IS INDIA NOT SIGNING NPT?

1. Discriminatory Nature: India has criticized the NPT for being discriminatory in that it recognizes five nuclear-armed states (the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom) while preventing other countries, like India, from acquiring nuclear weapons. This unequal treatment is seen as a hindrance to India’s national security interests.
2. Refusal to Accept Permanent Non-Nuclear Status: India, which conducted nuclear tests in 1998, has consistently maintained that it will not accept a permanent non-nuclear status.
3. Pursuit of a No-First-Use Policy: India has adopted a no-first-use (NFU) policy, which means it commits not to use nuclear weapons first in any conflict. This policy has been seen as a responsible approach to nuclear weapons by India, and it has stated that it is willing to engage in discussions on NFU at a multilateral level.
4. Concerns about the Treaty’s Effectiveness: India has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the NPT in preventing nuclear proliferation, citing cases where signatory countries, like North Korea, have developed nuclear weapons in violation of the treaty.

SIPRI YEARBOOK 2023:

The SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.

The status of nuclear forces (estimated, as of January 2023)