Pokhran 2
Introduction:
- The nuclear weapon tests conducted by India at Pokhran on May 11, 1998, were a critical step towards becoming a nuclear power. Between May 11 and May 13, 1998, five nuclear explosions were conducted consecutively. India is currently the sixth nation to have conducted nuclear weapon testing. National Technology Day was established to commemorate the first of the five explosions from the Pokhran-II nuclear weapons test, which happened on May 11.
The outcomes:
- The 1998 nuclear tests sparked a chain of events that led to possibly India’s biggest dispute with the US. On May 13, Washington imposed penalties on New Delhi in accordance with the Glenn Amendment.
- India had a plethora of issues as a result of the test, including isolation on the social, political, and economic fronts.
- Pakistan conducted several nuclear tests between May 28 and May 30, and China reprimanded India for what it saw as a flagrant disregard for the international community’s collective will.
- The decision to test at home was challenged by the Left and the Congress.
Pokhran II: Indian nuclear capability demonstrated:
- It is obvious that India’s nuclear tests at the time were a reflection of its emergence into self-confidence and an awareness of its potential.
- India had established its superiority in both science and technology. We might also assert that the event will be remembered as a testament to India’s military prowess.
- India will always remember this day as one of national pride because it served as a symbol of its freedom.
- India has managed to reach civil nuclear agreements with a number of countries, including the US, Japan, and Australia, despite not being a signatory to either the CTBT or the NPT. Due to an NSG waiver that exempts India from the entirety of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, this has been made possible. The US, France, Germany, and Russia all agreed to support this waiver.
- As of right now, India is a member of the MTCR, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group, three of the four international export control systems, and it is a potential candidate to join the NSG.
- Despite not being a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Pokhran-II gave India the strategic breathing room it required to act on the global arena and show how it would behave inside the rules-based system.
India’s nuclear strategy:
- establishing and maintaining a credible minimum deterrent, which is the number of nuclear weapons India needs to scare off potential nuclear adversaries.
- India initially implemented a “No First Use” policy following the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998. India will pursue a “retaliation only” policy, according to the official government position up until this point.
- Nuclear retaliation attacks can only be ordered by the civilian political leadership working through the Nuclear Command Authority. The Nuclear Command Authority is composed of an Executive Council and a Political Council. The Political Council is presided over by the Prime Minister. It is the only organisation that has the power to approve the use of nuclear weapons.
- avoiding using nuclear bombs against countries without them. The ban on nuclear tests was maintained by continuing strict restrictions on the export of technologies and materials related to nuclear and missile systems. However, India will still be able to use nuclear weapons in retaliation in the event of a significant strike against India or Indian forces elsewhere.
- Our commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons and non-discriminatory, universally verified nuclear disarmament.
Conclusion:
- India has therefore earned the right to claim the title of a responsible state, which is advantageous in times when nations like the US and China are perceived as not upholding their obligations under international agreements, regardless of whether it is the Paris Climate Accord, the NSG, or the freedom of Pokhran-II and what followed.
