Resignifying ‘responsibility’: India, exceptionalism and nuclear non-proliferation

Moving the mountain: Stigma removal, strategic industry, and the Indian civilian nuclear industry

“…Through its conduct, a strong stance on non‐proliferation, high safety standards and indigenous technology development, the industry came to be regarded as a responsible entity, despite not conforming to the norms of the global nuclear community. Scholars have noted how India's ‘status as a responsible nuclear power is based, not on its compliance with international regimes or norms, but on its “civilizational exceptionalism”’ (Chacko & Davis, 2018, p. 352). Others have noted how the Indian nuclear industry engaged in ‘norm entrepreneurship’ wherein it not only initiated ‘a realistic policy based on its conceptions of national interest but also explored an identity beyond the universal framework of the regime’ (Kumar, 2014, p. 102).…”

“…The United Kingdom, USA, France, Russia and China were part of these five nuclear weapon states. The Indian stance remained that the treaty ‘did not secure a binding commitment from the five declared nuclear powers to complete disarmament’, and hence, the treaty was discriminatory (Chacko & Davis, 2018, p. 360). The NPT came into force in 1970, and although India had not signed the treaty, the country had implicitly agreed to international controls over its reactors which were developed in collaboration with the USA and Canada.…”