India’s Chequered Relationship with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Examining Cross-Linked Concerns over Nuclear Disarmament and National Security

Abstract

In 1994, India enthusiastically supported the United Nations process for negotiating the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). It expected the treaty would ban all types of nuclear testing and pave the way for nuclear disarmament. The final treaty negotiated in 1996 did not commit itself to this goal of disarmament and India ultimately rejected it. However, behind this rejection also lies the story of India’s deteriorating national security outlook and decision-makers’ keen desire to avoid their country being subjected to a discriminatory nonproliferation regime enacted by the nuclear weapon states. The key questions guiding the query on (CTBT) are: What were the reasons behind India’s initial support of the CTBT in 1993? And what transpired between 1994 and 1996 that led India to change its stand?

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Other than CTBT, it is important to note that India harbored scepticism towards the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) negotiations due to the Soviet Union’s attempt to link it with universal disarmament, which New Delhi viewed as an impractical tactic undermining progress on a test ban treaty.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sameer Patil

Dr Sameer Patil is Senior Fellow Center for Security Strategy and Technology and Deputy Director ORF Mumbai. E-mail: [email protected]

Ankit Kumar

Ankit Kumar is a research scholar at the Department of International Relations, South Asian University University, New Delhi. E-mail: [email protected]