International Nuclear Control Regimes and India’s Participation in Civilian Nuclear Trade: Key Issues

Much of the current debate on India’s decision to evolve a set of agreements with the United States and engage the international nuclear technology control regimes in order to promote civilian nuclear cooperation unfortunately has not focused on some of the key questions involved and the available options before the country. Clearly, the country needs to take decisions from a subset of options that are i) politically feasible and ii) most desirable/least undesirable from the viewpoint of national interests. It is necessary, therefore, that the policymakers understand the key questions and grasp the major issues that only the government has the necessary information to answer fully.