India’s Nuclear Situation: Where to?

Volume:39
Issue:5
From the Archives

India’s Nuclear Policy has undergone a gradual but noticeable change following the underground test of a nuclear device at Pokharan in May 1974. Since early 1970, Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s government had attempted to use peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs) as a political ploy for bargaining at international forums on disarmament. However, towards the end of 1975 and early 1976 it became clear that India’s nuclear ploy at the political level was becoming eroded by the technological constraints being imposed on her domestic nuclear programme by external powers that produce nuclear materials vitally needed for India’s programmes.