Security and Nuclear weapons Red "sir, India earlier had cited the lack of sufficient disarmament commitments and discrimination against have-nots as central to their opposition to the CTBT, but today India is a de facto nuclear weapon state. so am unable to understand- why is that India still continues to oppose CTBT while by joining it, india can derive all those benefits under CTBT?"

The original Indian debate on the CTBT has four direct objections to the CTBT.

1. The first was that the issue of time-bound disarmament had been shelved; the N5 had not put forward a schedule for disarming their existing weapons. The CTBT was focused more on non-proliferation than disarmament.

2. Second, the CTBT was non-comprehensive and zero-yield; it made no mention of nuclear testing and   refining of old systems through computer simulations.

3. Third, it increased the divide between the haves and the have-nots; those already possessing nuclear     technology were at an advantage and could withdraw from the treaty without fear of repercussions.

Finally, Article XIV, the entry-into-force clause which required 44 nuclear-enabled states (including India) to ratify the Treaty before it came into force, would place India under unwarranted international pressure to ratify the Treaty.

In foreign policy

there are two things the class should understand

1.  foreign policy is a continuum. now that our country is 68 years old, we have almost on all aspects a platform over which we will have to work - either stick to the line or maneuver

2. foreign policy is NOT stagnant. It keeps evolving due to rapid change in world scenario

CTBT clearly demarcated nuclear haves and nuclear have nots and dished out different deals to them. That was the most important ISSUE for our country which was on the verge of becoming a nuclear power on its own based on its domestic scientific strength

If at all any 'nuclear treaty' is now made, it will not be anything near to CTBT, it will be a whole different document.

For extra info

http://www.fas.org/news/india/1997/ctbtghose.htm

while in the nuclear subject the following terms needs to be understood

1. non proliferation: let us stop making 'more' nuclear bombs (as time progresses, the base line keeps changing !!!)

2. nuclear disarmament: let us diffuse the existing nuclear bombs (no one will do !!! though they may say and feel that they want to)

3.  partial test ban

4.  comprehensive test ban

5.   nuclear yield

6. mutually assured destruction: this is where people are going towards

(if you know that i am fully capable of nuclear rebuttal even when i am the second one to act, you will not wage a nuclear war with me !!!)