India’s nuclear doctrine was first enunciated following a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in January 2003 – over four and a half years after the May 1998 tests.
India’s nuclear weapons were meant only for self-defense, that India was not interested in arms racing, and encapsulating concepts such as “no first use” of nuclear weapons and their “non-use” against non-nuclear-weapon states.
Main Features of India’s Nuclear Policy:
Building and maintaining a credible minimum deterrent.
A “No First Use” posture; nuclear weapons to be used only “in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or on Indian forces anywhere”.
Nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be “massive” and designed to inflict “unacceptable damage”.
Nuclear retaliatory attacks to be authorized only by civilian political leadership through the Nuclear Command Authority.
Non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states.
India to retain the option of retaliating with nuclear weapons in the event of a major attack against it with biological or chemical weapons.
Continuance of strict controls on the export of nuclear and missile-related materials and technologies, participation in FMCT negotiations, continued moratorium on testing.
Continued commitment to goal of nuclear weapon-free world, through global, verifiable and non-discriminatory disarmament.
Reason for calls to revisit the nuclear doctrine:
The major factor behind the questioning of the Nuclear Doctrine stems from concerns about NFU. Dissatisfaction with our NFU posture is not new.
Since an important element behind the call for revisiting our nuclear doctrine emanates from a lack of confidence in our deterrent and in our willingness to resort to the use of nuclear weapons in a massive second strike in response to an attack on us with tactical weapons, the same needs to be addressed by much more effective signaling and a demonstration that the government will do what it says and will not shy from making a robust response when necessary.
Rajnish
India’s nuclear doctrine was first enunciated following a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in January 2003 – over four and a half years after the May 1998 tests.
India’s nuclear weapons were meant only for self-defense, that India was not interested in arms racing, and encapsulating concepts such as “no first use” of nuclear weapons and their “non-use” against non-nuclear-weapon states.
Main Features of India’s Nuclear Policy:
Reason for calls to revisit the nuclear doctrine: