New Delhi. Describing nuclear security as one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century, the experts on the concluding day of the Conference on ‘India’s Role in Global Nuclear Governance’, organised by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), in collaboration with the Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO), February 26 said India needs to strengthen its institutional, legal, and physical infrastructure related to nuclear security to ensure the safety of its nuclear establishment.
Insisting that transparency is one of the key features of India’s nuclear security culture, the experts noted that complete autonomy of the regulatory body from the promoting agency should be ensured. India’s entry into the export control organisations would be in everyone’s interest. Thus the international community must help mainstream India in the global nuclear order.
In addition to the nuclear energy expansion plans, deteriorating regional security environment, thriving terror and smuggling networks in the neighbourhood, and prevalent domestic dissident groups were cited as other reasons for India’s nuclear being fundamental and indispensable.
The States should strike a more appropriate balance between considerations of national sovereignty and international responsibility, the experts observed, adding that the growing political consciousness of states regarding the threat, consequences and importance of the matter should be transformed into legally binding international arrangements.
An effective international nuclear regime is a prerequisite for bringing in binding common standards, co-operation, reviews, transparency, and mechanisms to promote continuous improvement of the regime. It would lay the foundation for confidence in the security regimes nationally and internationally, the experts pointed out.
The three-day conference was attended by scholars of global nuclear governance from India and across the world, who deliberated upon the challenges and opportunities of the emerging nuclear governance architecture.
