Nuclear Suppliers Group and India's membership bid: Key points

NEW DELHI: At the just concluded Rome G20 summit, India linked cutting dependence on thermal power to enhancing nuclear power capacity. This requires access to new technologies and also an adequate supply of nuclear material, it said.

And for that to be possible, India needs to be included in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)- something that has been held up for many years due to China's unrelenting opposition.


What is the NSG?

* It is a voluntary, non-legally binding association of major countries that trade in nuclear material

* It currently has 48 participants, who work on accepted guidelines to prevent proliferation while indulging in nuclear commerce

* NSG has no formal link to the UN, but its activities contribute to the UN's efforts in the field of non-proliferation and export controls.


How it came into being

* Signatories to the 1970 NPT felt a need to apply further safeguards on exports of nuclear material and specialized nuclear equipment to non-nuclear weapon states.

* Multilateral consultations on nuclear export controls continued under separate mechanisms

* India's 1974 Pokhran nuclear test was a trigger, as it arguably demonstrated that certain non-weapons specific technology could be turned to weapons development.

* The NSG was created in 1974

Who can participate

* Signatories to the NPT can join the NSG

* NSG works on the basis of consensus, i.e any decision needs to be ratified by all member countries

* India being a non-NPT signatory would normally not be considered for participation


NSG guidelines for nuclear trade

* The NSG Guidelines are sets of conditions of supply applied to nuclear transfers for peaceful purposes

* They aim to ensure that such transfers will not be diverted to unsafeguarded nuclear fuel cycle or nuclear explosive activities.

* A trade between two member countries is only authorised when the exporting country has been satisfied that the transfer would not contribute to proliferation of nuclear weapons.

* Stringent conditions exist for importing countries to resupply materials to a third country

Where does the case for India's membership stand?

* Being a non-signatory to NPT, India is normally not to be considered for NSG membership

* Following the India-US civil nuclear deal of 2006, the US lobbied hard for an exception for India, citing the country's impeccable record

* In 2008, NSG members agreed to grant India a "clean waiver" from its existing rules, in exchange for a commitment to "no nuclear trade with non-NPT countries"

* Russia, France, UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey and several other countries have subsequently supported India's membership bid

* China has steadfastly opposed India's inclusion in the NSG, citing the non-NPT status and unwilling to make an exception

* New Zealand, Ireland and Austria have also opposed India, citing the same clause

Pakistan an aspirant too

* Pakistan applied for NSG membership on 19 May 2016

* Islamabad's bid is supported by Turkey and China

* China has even argued that if India can be let in without signing NPT, then Pakistan should be granted membership as well.

* US in 2018 sanctioned seven Pakistani firms for nuclear proliferation, thereby delivering a blow to its ambitions of NSG membership.


Apart from NSG, there are other international groupings that aim to check proliferation, for both nuclear and conventional weapons and their delivery systems.


MTCR

* The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a multilateral export control regime founded in 1987

* It is an informal political understanding among 35 member states that seek to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology.

* It was created in order to curb the spread of unmanned delivery systems for nuclear weapons

* MTCR focuses on rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles capable of delivering a payload of at least 500 kg to a range of at least 300 km, and on equipment, software, and technology for such systems.

* India joined the group in June 2016, adhering to the MTCR guidelines unilaterally.

* In 2004 China applied to join the MTCR after pledging to follow all rules

* China membership bid did not materialise because of concerns among existing members about its export control standards


Wassenaar arrangement

* Officially its is called The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies

* It is a multilateral export control regime with 42 participating states, established in 1996

* It aims at promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies

* Every six months member countries exchange information on deliveries of conventional arms under 8 broad categories to non-Wassenaar members

* India joined as the 42nd participating state in December 2017

* The group does not have China or Pakistan as members


Australia Group

* The Australia Group is yet another informal, multilateral export control regime, established in 1985

* It aims to to help member countries to identify those exports which need to be controlled so as not to contribute to the spread of chemical and biological weapons

* It now has 43 members; India joined in January 2018

* Neither Pakistan nor China are members


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