Today, India became a member of the Australia Group (AG.) This move is expected to raise the stature of New Delhi in the fields of non proliferation and help in acquiring critically valuable technology.
India is also a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA,) Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and now the Australia Group. India has managed to bag three out of the four non proliferation regimes. India is waiting for the day it gets to be part of the fourth non proliferation group Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG.)
Although, India is not a signatory to the Non Proliferation Treaty that was signed in 1968. The treaty was signed by a total of 190 countries. India, Pakistan, Syria and South Sudan were nuclear countries who did not sign the Treaty. India still managed to be part of these groups even with China’s desperate attempts to stonewall India from entering the NSG.
The Australian Group is a cooperative and voluntary group of 43 countries. The informal group that was established in 1985 works towards countering the supply and spread of equipment, technologies and materials used to develop chemical and biological weapons by terror groups and states.
Last year in December India was given entry to the Wassenaar Arrangement. India gained entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in June last year. India joined the MTCR as a permanent member.
China managed to stonewall India from entering the NSG. But China is not a member of the MTCR or the WA. Both these groups play an important role in promoting transparency. They also are responsible for the transfer of conventional arms and multi usage goods and technologies.
Ever since India signed the Civil Nuclear Deal with the United Nations it has been trying to be a part of export control regimes like the NSG, WA, MTCR and the Australia Group.
