Logo

Synopsis The nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests conducted by India and Pakistan in the late 1990s substantially altered the security environment, both in the region and globally. Examining the complexities and dynamics of this new strategic context, this timely and significant book examines the claim of many Indian strategists that stability in the region is better served under conditions of declared - rather than covertly developed - nuclear weapons. Bringing together original essays by a diverse group of scholars, this volume discusses a number of important issues such as: the political considerations that caused India and Pakistan to go nuclear, the type of nuclear doctrine that is likely to emerge and its implications for the safety of nuclear weapons, the potential for an arms race in the region, and the likelihood of war, the political and economic consequences for India after Pokhran-II and the impact of economic sanctions, the technological ramifications of the nuclear program on India’s defence science scenario, the impact of these test on the future of India’s relationship with the United States, the main bulwark against weapons proliferation; also, the changed role that India sees for itself in international for a,the possible arms control measures that might succeed in stabilizing the South Asian nuclear rivalry. The insightful, comprehensive and topical volume is a must-read for all those in the fields of political science, international relations, strategic affairs, conflict/peace studies, economics and policy studies.