Context

• The return of nuclear weapons on the global platform. After 1998, India premised its strategy on building ‘credible minimum deterrence’. The time has come to reflect on what is ‘credible’ and redefine what ‘minimum’ might be to strengthen nuclear diplomacy.

Definition of nuclear diplomacy

• Nuclear diplomacy deals with prevention of nuclear war and peacetime proliferation. It also deals with the use of threat of nuclear warfare to achieve diplomatic goals.

Theme of article

• India, one of the world’s nuclear weapon powers, ought to be paying a lot more attention to the international nuclear discourse that is acquiring new dimensions and taking a fresh look at its own civilian and military nuclear programmes.
• Nuclear cooperation has brought a new dimension to India’s nuclear diplomacy in the 21^st India’s status as a responsible nuclear power is predicated upon the civil relationships in the nuclear domain that it has established with major powers.

What is credible minimum deterrence?

• Credible minimum deterrence is the principle on which India’s nuclear diplomacy is based. It underlines no first use (NFU) with an assured second strike capability and falls under minimal deterrence, as opposed to mutually assured destruction.

Why do countries proliferate nuclear weapons?

• Proliferation models centred on security concerns or dilemmas dominate nuclear literature.
• Nuclear weapons provide an overwhelmingly destructive force that increases a state’s relative power in comparison to its neighbours.
• It provides a powerful tool in an anarchic system where superpowers dominate other nation-states sovereignty.
• Hence weaponizing helps establish a deterrence to prevent war.

Why relook is needed?

• Possessing nuclear weapons can confer India increased leverage to conduct foreign policy in both regional and international contexts.
• There are two ways in which the possession of nuclear weapons can affect a state’s conduct of foreign policy and diplomacy.
• The first involves military and strategic signalling. This includes military-oriented functions of deterrence, coercion, and brinkmanship.
• The second, deals with non-military affairs.

Way forward

• It should be noted that India’s quest to be a “responsible nuclear state” has given it considerable diplomatic capital in the West.
• It would be unfortunate for India to squander such gain owing to the lack of carefully considered foreign policy that leverages its nuclear status for its national interest.

Conclusion

• India’s civil nuclear engagements with the global community have strengthened its position in the global civil nuclear order, there is a need for the country to push for greater engagements with more key suppliers and stakeholders to fulfill its military nuclear potential and assert its status as a responsible nuclear state.

Mains question

Q. India has been a nuclear weapons state for 22 years. Has this affected India’s foreign policy in a direct manner? Express your views in context of the return of nuclear weapons on the global platform.

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