India's membership of MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime)

Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a voluntary and informal association of countries formed with the objective of restricting the proliferation of missiles, rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles, and related technology for those systems which are capable of carrying a 500 kilogram payload to least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It operates by following of  a set of common export guidelines for a common integral list of controlled items.

The group was originally established in 1987 by seven countries i.e. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since then the number of members of the group has increased to 35 with India being the latest addition in June 2016. The present members are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States of America.

A more broad based organisation for restricting the proliferation of ballistic missiles is “International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation” which came into existence in November, 2002. It is also known as “Hague Code of Conduct” and has 138 signatories including India which became a signatory to the Hague Code of Conduct in June 2016.

India’s membership of MTCR will be helpful in getting high level technology which will be of great use in its space programme. It will also allow India to export some of the missiles. There has been news that India wants to export Brahmos missile. The present range of Brahmos missile is 290 Kilometers which is within the MTCR cap of 300 Kilometers. However, with the MTCR membership, India can increase the range if the need arises. 

Some facts about Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)

            NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) is a group of nations controlling the trade in nuclear material, equipments and technology. The Group was formed in 1974 in the wake of nuclear explosion conducted by India in Pokharan in same year. The Group has a set of guidelines as per which the nuclear supplier authorises a transfer of nuclear or nuclear related exports only when it is satisfied that the transfer of such exports would not lead to proliferation of nuclear weapons.

            However, it must be made clear that NSG is not a treaty but a group of countries which was formed with the objective of contributing to non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The treaty regulating non proliferation of nuclear weapons is Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which came into force in 1970. India despite being under pressure for becoming a signatory to the Treaty as a non nuclear state has constantly resisted the pressure because India is a country having its own nuclear programme and signing of NPT as a non nuclear state will not be in the interest of the country.

Presently the Group has 48 members which are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United  Kingdom, and United States.

In the last few years India has been trying to make more and more use of nuclear energy for meeting its power requirements. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2008 had approved India specific safety standards after which NSG in the same year also allowed Civil Nuclear Cooperation of India with its member countries. However, despite this, India has been keen to join NSG because it would have provided it a more comprehensive legal foundation for its nuclear programme and also for nuclear exports. Further, it has also been felt that as India increases its international clout, a seat in NSG would have been reflective of and in conformity with that status.

This year, India had made a strong bid for being included in NSG. The meeting of NSG was held in Seoul on 23-24^th June, 2016 but India could not obtain membership of NSG due to opposition from China and some other countries. One of the opposition put forward was India’s not signing of NPT although signing of NPT is not a condition but only a guideline. However, this stand of China deferred the Indian membership of NSG.