Nuclear Security Summit: PM Modi announces paradigm shift in nuclear policy

During his short but significant visit to Washington to attend the fourth edition of the Nuclear Security Summit, prime minister Narendra Modi unveiled a paradigm shift in the country's nuclear programme. The new policy reflects a "strong security culture", while also being "more open" and "less defensive". India also announced a $1-million grant for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in addition to the $1 million it had contributed in 2013.

Aimed at blunting a series of reports in the global media that highlight lack of transparency and accountability, allegations of exposing the population to high levels of radiation in the uranium-mining areas and also creating new fuel for an arsenal of H-bombs, the national progress report, as unveiled by Modi, has underlined the steps India has taken on nuclear security. These included updating export controls for companies manufacturing nuclear technology, taking "robust strides" towards implementing nuclear safeguards, setting up an inter-ministerial counter-smuggling team, using low-enriched uranium instead of high-enriched uranium (HEU) and shutting down the only reactor using HEU. It also mentioned setting up 23 response centres across the country to take care of any nuclear or radiological emergency and putting a cyber security architecture in place.

The report mentioned the setting up of an institutional mechanism, called a Counter Nuclear Smuggling Team, to devise a coordinated multi-agency approach to deal with the threat of individuals or a group of individuals acquiring nuclear or radioactive material for malicious purposes. Amongst steps relating to transparency, the Indian delegation that participated the summit was at pains to explain that it was attending more expert groups and seeking technical help from different countries. India is making a robust diplomatic effort now to seek membership to the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG), the next step in the world's acceptance of India in the global nuclear scheme. Officials here believe that keeping this goal in mind, they had carefully selected the world leaders of Canada, Kazakhstan, Britain, New Zealand, Switzerland and Japan for bilateral meetings with the Indian PM, to garner support for India's entry into this 48-member club, which is concerned with reducing nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials.

The report also mentioned a network of 23 emergency response centres, spread across India, developed for detecting and responding to any nuclear or radiological emergency. Also, a hierarchy of on-site cyber-security architecture has been deployed and a number of sophisticated products and services, like a secure network access system, have also been deployed for the protection of the cyber infrastructure of nuclear plants.

While fully supporting the implementation of UNSC Council Resolution regarding non-proliferation and the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy, the report also mentioned various national laws, namely the Indian Atomic Energy Act, 1962, the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems Act, 2000, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 as amended in 2012 and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008, which conform to international laws on curbing nuclear terrorism.