Indian Foreign Policy and India’s Nuclear Programme
Indian Foreign Policy and India’s Nuclear Programme tests the aims and instruments of India’s external policy and the logic of its nuclear posture. Answers should connect principles such as strategic autonomy with hard security choices.
Core concepts
- Article 51 of the Constitution directs the state to promote international peace and security, foster respect for international law and encourage settlement of disputes by arbitration.
- India’s foreign policy has combined non-alignment, Panchsheel, anti-colonialism and strategic autonomy. Later emphases include the Gujral Doctrine, Look East/Act East, neighbourhood-first and multi-alignment.
- India tested a nuclear device at Pokhran in 1974, called Smiling Buddha, and conducted weapon tests in 1998, called Shakti. It declared a No First Use policy and credible minimum deterrence.
- India is not a party to the NPT or CTBT but has a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with the US from 2008 and an IAEA safeguards arrangement.
- The nuclear programme links energy, security and prestige; sanctions after 1998 and the later waiver show the tension.
Worked example
Question: How is No First Use compatible with deterrence? Reasoning: NFU says India will not initiate nuclear use but will retaliate massively. Deterrence rests on the certainty of response, not first strike. The posture is defensive and aims to avoid arms racing, though ambiguity remains about non-nuclear attacks.
Traps
Do not say India signed the NPT. Do not treat 1974 as a full weaponisation test. Do not confuse NFU with no nuclear weapons. Avoid saying non-alignment ended in 1991; it evolved.