The Indian Unsafeguarded Nuclear Program

The Indian Unsafeguarded Nuclear Program

Dr. Jassim Taqui

The ISSI organized a book-launching function titled, “Indian Unsafeguarded Nuclear Program- An assessment.” The book was a research project conducted by four young researchers namely, Adeela Azam, Ahmad Khan, Sayed Muhammad Ali and Sameer Ali Khan.

Presenting the book, Khalid Mehmood, Chairman ISSI highlighted the main features of the research. Mehmood stated that the research proved that Indian was expanding its nuclear arsenal to play a global role. He commended the researchers for relying on Indian and international data as the primary sources of the research.

In this regard, Mehmood regretted that the US administration helped India to become a member of NSG despite the fact that it violated the NPT regime while the application of Pakistan to the membership of NSG had been sidelined. This had been done despite the fact that Pakistan had put its nuclear program for peaceful use of energy under IAEA,

Mehmood pointed out that India rejected all Pakistan’s effort on jointly signing NPT; an indication suggesting that New Delhi was contemplating another nuclear test.

Dr. A H Nayyer, a nuclear physicist, gave an overview of the book. He stated that the research touched four major areas of the Indian 

unsafeguarded Program, namely, i. Uranium sources and production, ii. Uranium enrichment, iii. Nuclear reactors, and iv. Reprocessing plants.

Dr. Ansar Pervez, a nuclear physicist, stated that India had the ambition to play a greater role in international politics. Therefore, it is building its nuclear program, especially when India is projected to be the third economic power in 2028, after the US and China.

All the three speakers pointed out some weak points of the arguments due to relying on some unauthentic data. They called for rectifying this deficiency in the next edition of the book.