Introduction
With the invention of nuclear weapons, countries not only gained a huge advantage but also laid the foundation for several severe problems and tensions. For example, according to the vision of the West, the countries of the Third World are likely to use nuclear weapons, which puts the whole world under serious threat (Gusterson, 1999). Additionally, states-members of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) are concerned that other countries may want to demonstrate their power, and the March 2006 US-India nuclear accord is an attempt to control the situation.
The States That Possess Nuclear Weapons
Firstly, it is essential to estimate the current picture of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). According to Gusterson (1999), five official nuclear nations are recognized by the NPT, including the US, Russia, China, the UK, and France. Further, it is known that Pakistan, India, and Israel do not support the NPT but have nuclear weapons, and North Korea withdrew from the NPT in 2003 and now possesses WMD (Davenport, 2022). Nowadays, there is no additional credible information about other countries.
The Main Aspects of the US-India Nuclear Accord
Next, discussing the main features of the March 2006 US-India nuclear accord is essential. Because India had its own WMD but declined to sign the treaty, this was recognized as a threat to the system’s stability. Therefore, the US offered technological cooperation to the state (Paul & Shankar, 2007).
In exchange, India had to “separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities and put most of its reactors under international safeguards” (Paul & Shankar, 2007, p. 111). On the one hand, such an act opposes the treaty and signifies that any other country might break the nonproliferation rule. On the other hand, this deal limits the number of nuclear weapons India can manufacture, preventing further proliferation.
Conclusion
To conclude, the situation with weapons of mass destruction is rather challenging and tense, but NPT states do their best to keep it under control. The March 2006 US-India nuclear accord should be considered the best available decision. It limits the power of India and ensures that it does not provide other countries with atomic weapons or choose to use its own.
References
Davenport, K. (2022). Nuclear weapons: Who has what at a glance. Arms Control Association. Web.
Gusterson, H. (1999). Nuclear weapons and the other in the Western imagination. Cultural Anthropology, 14(1), 111-143. Web.
Paul, T. V., & Shankar, M. (2007). Why the US-India nuclear accord is a good deal. Survival, 49(4), 111-122. Web.