Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
मनोहर पर्रिकर रक्षा अध्ययन एवं विश्लेषण संस्थान

Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence for Ending Import Dependence: DRDO’s Indigenous 8×8 CBRN Vehicle Sets New Standard

 This article focuses on India's push for selfreliance in defence through the development of DRDO's indigenous 8x8 CBRN Reconnaissance Vehicle. It highlights the persistent global CBRN threat, India's past import dependence, and the vehicle's advanced capabilities, underscoring how collaborative innovation under Atmanirbhar Bharat strengthens national preparedness and defence autonomy. Read More

Chemical Weapons in Sudan’s Civil War: Credibility, Consequences, and the Need for Accountability

 This article examines the renewed concerns about chemical-weapons use in Sudan's civil war. Allegations of chlorinegas deployment by the Sudanese Armed Forces reflect weakening global norms, persistent impunity, and uneven international responses. The case underscores the urgent need to reinforce chemical weapons non-proliferation and strengthen mechanisms for accountability. Read More

The Biological Weapons Convention at Fifty: Codifying 100 years of efforts to combat biological warfare – A Timely Chronicle of a Treaty’s Enduring Relevance, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), February 2025

 As the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) commemorates its 50th anniversary, the UNODA has released a landmark publication in February 2025, titled “The Biological Weapons Convention at Fifty: Codifying 100 Years of Efforts to Combat Biological Warfare.” More than a celebratory document, this expertly curated anthology offers both a retrospective on a century of efforts against biological warfare and a forward-looking reflection on emerging biosecurity threats. Spanning the evolution of international norms from the Geneva Protocol of 1925 to the adoption of the BWC in 1975, and culminating in the Ninth Review Conference (November–December 2022), the 45-page booklet captures the full scope of the global struggle to prohibit biological weapons. It features contributions from leading experts in biological disarmament, non-proliferation, and global biosecurity, providing historical context and policy insights. As Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under- Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, aptly states in her forward: “This publication aims to inspire renewed determination for a future in which the use of biological weapons is not only unthinkable but also impossible.” Read More

Half a Century of the Biological Weapon Convention: Progress, Pitfalls, and Prospects

 As the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) marks its fiftieth anniversary since entering into force in 1975, this chapter offers a comprehensive examination of its evolution, limitations, and future trajectory. The BWC, a landmark treaty banning the development and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons, has shaped international norms against biological warfare. However, despite its symbolic and normative importance, the convention remains structurally weak, lacking verification mechanisms, robust institutional support, and clear enforcement procedures. Read More

Is White phosphorus an inhumane weapon?

 This paper explores the legal classification of White phosphorus under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques and Customary international humanitarian law. Once the scope of legality is determined, this paper argues for White phosphorus to be classified as an inhumane weapon of war due to the catastrophic, indiscriminate effects on civilians and future generations. Read More
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