India’ Energy Policy and Nuclear Weapons Program

Abstract

Unlike Israel and Pakistan, and earlier South Africa under its apartheid regime, all three of which sought the dedicated path towards a nuclear weapons capability, India’ nuclear weapons program is mainly an offshoot of its nuclear energy program. From an economic development standpoint, India has rationalized the necessity of a nuclear energy program to fill shortfalls in its overall electricity needs. Especially given the costs of mining and transporting coal throughout India from its location in the northeast-central .regions, and that the great rivers of India cannot all be harnessed appropriately for hydro-electric power to service the major cities of India, a case is made for nuclear energy. Elsewhere in the world, especially in France, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and much of the European Union countries, nuclear energy is viewed now as essential for meeting increasing energy demands and for reducing reliance on Middle East oil. Oil supply and prices are subject to manipulation by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and coal mining and coal-fired power plants are seen as health hazards. The chapter concludes that while the U. S. nonproliferation policy failed to contain India’ nuclear weapons program, international technological and economic sanctions severely curtailed the development of India’ nuclear energy program which lags far behind other countries such as the United States, France, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. This has caused shortfalls in India’ energy requirements thereby also affecting its infrastructure and economic growth potential.KeywordsInternational Atomic Energy AgencyNuclear EnergyNuclear WeaponFast Breeder ReactorEconomic SanctionThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.