The NSG founders have come round to the view that incorporating India into the nonproliferation regime, though not into the nonproliferation treaty is to the advantage of the nonproliferation objective and in international interest. They cannot include India as a weapon state in the NPT as that would require amendment to the treaty. The nuclear weapon powers dare not touch the NPT as that might lead to its unravelling .India’s reasons for going nuclear are now well understood. Though India conducted its nuclear test in 1974 and it was called a peaceful nuclear explosion,it did not go for weaponisation till 1989. Meanwhile Pakistan developed an India-specific nuclear arsenal with Chinese assistance. At that time China was neither in the NPT nor in the NSG.

The NSG during the Eighties did not pay attention to nuclear proliferation through uranium enrichment using centrifuge method. The Zangger list of technologies and equipment to be prohibited for export did not include items related to uranium enrichment but concentrated on plutonium production and reprocessing. Pakistan benefited from this grave lapse and most of its technology and equipment came from the NSG countries of Western Europe. It was only after Iraq’s clandestine nuclear programme was uncovered in 1991 the uranium enrichment technology and equipment came under export ban list. It may also be noted the Pakistani proliferation to North Korea, Iran and Libya were all uranium enrichment technology.

In the view of US and other co-founders of NSG, India is a country with advanced nuclear technology which has now been admitted into the international thermo-nuclear research project. India is developing fast-breeder technology and is also doing research on conversion of thorium into uranium 233 for use in reactors. India has designed its own reactors. India has an impeccable record on non-proliferation over the last 34 years and has now legislated export controls regarding dual use technologies in harmony with NSG requirements. It has displayed remarkable restraint in its doctrinal position by adopting a no first use strategy and in the build up of its arsenal, though placed between two nuclear weapon powers with an ongoing proliferation relationship between them and one of which has declared its arsenal as India specific.

... contd.