India must use this final Nuclear Security Summit to shore up its reputation as a responsible nuclear weapons state.
The upcoming Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) – the final such summit of Obama’s presidency and perhaps the last ever – provides a critical opportunity for high-level political engagement with the pressing issues of nuclear safety and security. South Asia is a key piece of this discussion because it faces significant terrorist threats, is home to large stockpiles of fissile material, and has some of the world’s highest population density. While international concerns about nuclear security in South Asia mainly focus on Pakistan, many of the conditions that make Pakistan so dangerous also apply to India. In particular, India is also susceptible to a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility, or the theft of nuclear materials to create a radiological bomb or crude nuclear weapon. India has made key steps to strengthen nuclear security, but recent incidents at nuclear facilities indicate an urgent need for improvement. As New Delhi continues to sign new civil nuclear agreements with leaders in the global nuclear energy sector, the NSS is an opportunity for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prioritize nuclear material safety and security.
Read the full article here.