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

CBW Magazine

Where did the COVID-19 virus come from? The mystery-solving race

 This book review examines the book 'Where Did the COVID-19 Virus Come From? The Mystery Solving Race' by Dr. Monali C. Rahalkar-Bahulikar and Dr. Rahul A. Bahulikar. The book explores the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and highlights the possibility that the virus was engineered through gain-of-function research. The review situates the book's detailed investigation of the origins of COVID-19 within the significant policy lessons on biosafety and the risks of gain-of-function research. Read More

Building India’s CBRN Shield: DRDO’s New Centre of Excellenc

 The article examines India's evolving preparedness in addressing the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) threats. The focus of the article is on DRDO’s newly inaugurated CBRN Field Training and Demonstration Centre in Delhi. The article argues that the facility represents a significant shift from fragmented, agency-specific preparedness toward a more integrated national response architecture by training military, disaster-response, and civilian agencies under one framework. Read More

Hantavirus and Ebolavirus outbreaks: When Deadly Pathogens Challenge Global Health Governance

 In the context of the recent Hantavirus and Ebolavirus outbreaks, this commentary examines the weakness in international health preparedness against zoonotic spillovers, travel-linked clusters, biosafety, biosecurity, pathogen sharing and equitable access to countermeasures. The article argues that the International Health Regulations and the WHO Pandemic Agreement remain important but incomplete, especially while the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing framework remains unsettled. Read More

Decoding The Foiled Ricin Plot

 The article provides an in-depth analysis of a hypothetical scenario involving Dr. Ahmed Saiyed, who was arrested on suspicion of terror links. It explores the potential consequences had he successfully evaded law enforcement and executed the envisioned Ricin attack. The discussion comprises a comprehensive overview of Ricin toxin, emphasizing its use as a biological weapon, its physiological effects, and recommended protective measures. Additionally, the article examines the current challenges faced by the system in place while managing such threats and proposes planned improvements to enhance preparedness and response during bioterrorism crises. This analysis underscores the importance of robust detection, rapid response, and multidimensional approach in mitigating the risks associated with biological weapons like Ricin. Read More

Navigating AI Bio-risk Frontier: A Four-Domain Framework

 As AI accelerates biological research, governance frameworks to ensure safety and security struggle to keep pace. This article introduces a four-domain framework spanning AI-augmented biodesign, dual-use LLMs, AI-driven misinformation, and AI-enhanced cyber-bio risks. It evaluates India's existing regulatory architecture against these threats and proposes safeguards beyond aspirational principles. Read More

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

CBRN Threat from Non-State Actors: A Historical Perspective

 This article analyses the evolving threat of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) weapons from non-state actors, with implications for modern military strategy. It traces the historical use of biological agents from ancient warfare to Cold War programs. It highlights how advances in biotechnology have lowered the barriers for terrorist groups to acquire and deploy such weapons. Case studies, including the Rajneeshee attack and Islamic State's chemical operations, illustrate how CBRN tools are being adapted for asymmetric warfare. The article also critiques existing international treaties, noting gaps in enforcement and verification. With a focus on India's two-and-a-halffront security challenge from China and Pakistan, the study concludes with recommendations for strengthening military readiness, enhancing inter-agency coordination, investing in early warning and detection systems, and modernising doctrinal frameworks to counter emerging CBRN threats effectively. Read More

The Corona Pandemic: An Imperative Holistic Readdressing of the Genuine Roots of the Virus

 In an unprecedented move, a recently revamped leading White House website item unapologetically accuses China of being the provenance of the coronavirus pandemic, due to a lab leak of a labupgraded virus. A lasting, fickle melting pot involving internal, national, axial, and international elements, factors, and complex processes preceded it, reflecting a global system that lost vital credentials, perhaps irreversibly, corollary to unforeseen, colossal pandemic impacts. Read More
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