Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Give description of Wassenaar Arrangement.
• Elaborate on the advantages Wassenaar Arrangement confers on India, helping find acceptance as a responsible nuclear power.
• Give a conclusion.

Introduction:

• The Wassenaar Arrangement is a grouping of 42 countries, of which India is the latest member.
• It has been established in order to contribute to regional and international security and stability, by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilising accumulations. The aim is also to prevent the acquisition of these items by terrorists.
• Participating States seek, through their national policies, to ensure that transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities which undermine these goals, and are not diverted to support such capabilities.

Body

Advantages of India’s membership of Wassenaar Arrangement

• Recognition as Nuclear Power: ever since India tested its nuclear capabilities in 1974, it has been seen as an outlier as someone who developed nuclear technology going against the global wish. India’s entry into the WA is an acknowledgement of its rise as a powerful nation by major powers in the international system. With this, India’s image has been considerably burnished among the comity of nations having nuclear powers, in so far as that is achieved through treaty memberships.
• Access to technology: India will be able to more easily access dual-use technologies and materials and military equipment that are proscribed for non-participating members.
• Commercial gains: India will also be able to sell its nuclear reactors and other materials and equipment indigenously produced without attracting adverse reactions thus allowing India to commercialize its own indigenously developed technologies helping in revenue generation.
• International collaboration: India will now also be in a better position to collaborate with other countries in developing dual-use technologies.
• Case for NSG membership: The Wassenaar Arrangement membership is expected to build up a strong case for India’s entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). China, which has been stonewalling India’s entry into the 48-nation NGS thus furthering India’s goal of joining all four( fourth being Australia Group) important multilateral global groups which seeks to control the proliferation of Nuclear arms and materials.

Conclusion

Entry into Wassenaar Arrangement is a stepping stone to India’s ambition of becoming recognized global nuclear power without having to arrive at a compromise on its principled stand regarding not signing discriminatory Non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty.