Scrap Nuclear No-First-Use Policy, Advises Security Panel

January 10, 2003
Vishal Thapar, New Delhi 

The National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) has recommended to the government that India should abandon its nuclear doctrinal posture of no-first-use.

The NSAB is the country's top body of security experts that advises the National Security Council on strategic issues. Conceptually, its recommendation turns India's stated nuclear posture on its head.

In a 160-page report submitted to National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra on December 20, the NSAB has advised that "India must consider withdrawing from this commitment as the other nuclear weapon states have not accepted this policy".

The report will be considered by the Strategic Policy Group consisting of the secretaries of Defence, External Affairs, Home and Finance, the three service chiefs and the heads of intelligence agencies before being put to the Cabinet Committee on Security.

The 15-member board has also suggested that India should not feel obliged to stick to its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear tests (announced after the Pokhran II testing in May 1998) should the US ever resume testing. The NSAB has also taken note of the US Nuclear Posture Review, which lists even non-nuclear weapon states as targets.

Significantly, these recommendations are in stark contrast to those of the first NSAB headed by K Subrahmaniam, which supported no-first-use. A member of the current board said the NSAB's proposals represented a "long-term view".

Asked to comment, Subrahmaniam said, "The government has reiterated the policy of no-first-use as recently as January 4 (when it announced India's N-doctrine, entailing most of the recommendations made by the Subrahmaniam-led first NSAB)."

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