Articles

The issues involved in China’s sale of two more nuclear reactors need to be better understood. Arguments that India, as a non-NPT state, has itself secured a nuclear deal with the US and therefore has little ground to oppose a China-Pakistan nuclear deal, or that two additional reactors for Pakistan is not going to enhance the nuclear threat to India, miss the point.

The Iranian nuclear issue is not any the closer to a denouement with UN Security Council Resolution 1929 of June 9 slapping additional sanctions on Iran, dismissed promptly as inconsequential by its President. The announced sanctions target Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, as well as entities, banks and individuals involved in these programmes, besides banning certain categories of military supplies. The energy sector has been excluded, but the US may unilaterally impose some additional restrictions in this area.

Shyam Saran

Shyam Saran, former Special Envoy of the Prime Minister on India-US Nuclear Issues and Climate Change and former Foreign Secretary, says that there is “anecdotal evidence” that major glaciers have been receding. There is no precise data as to whether the Himalayan glaciers are melting and, if so, at what rate. He says satellite imaging over the last several decades show noticeable shrinking of glaciers in some areas, but little change in others.

The India-US nuclear deal will stunt India's emergence as a genuine nuclear weapon state, cripple its strategic deterrence, and reduce it to a US satrapy. Government's motivations in pushing ahead with it are, therefore, open to speculation, particularly as informed opinion is against it.