Maintaining Nuclear Deterrence & Advancing Nuclear Security Are Separate Goals: India at the NSS-2016 (Hina Pandey, South Asia Monitor)

The final Nuclear Security Summit (NSS-2016) concluded on April 1, 2016, with India announcing several contributions to the nuclear security regime. At the NSS, India finally decided to join the ‘Gift Basket’ which India had refrained from in all the previous years. One of the key measures includes Indian willingness to accord a high national priority to nuclear security through strong institutional framework, independent regulatory agency and trained and specialized manpower. India also pledged to develop technology in order to deter and defend nuclear terrorism. In the coming years India would also extend its support to IAEA through contribution of$1 million to the nuclear security fund and hold a workshop on International Physical Protection Assessment Service (IPPAS) in India. Other areas of the basket diplomacy include, joining of a Trilateral Initiative with US-South Korea-Netherlands that would oversee the implementation of measures to strengthen nuclear security by the subscribing states, and the participation in counter smuggling, sharing of best practices in nuclear security through the Centre of Excellence (CoE) already operational in New Delhi since 2010, as the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP). And lastly, India announced its participation in the follow up of NSS contact group in Vienna

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