SIPRI releases Year Book 2021
Recently, a Swedish think tank ‘Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’ (SIPRI) has released its 2021 annual book.
Key facts of ‘Year Book’ 2021
- According to SIPRI’s annual book for 2021, India had an estimated 156 nuclear warheads at the beginning of this year, compared to 150 at the beginning of last year.
- Similarly, there has been an increase in nuclear weapons in Pakistan, the number of nuclear weapons with Pakistan was 160 in the year 2020, which has increased to 165 this year.
- Similarly, China had more than 320 nuclear weapons at the beginning of the year 2020, which has increased to 350 this year.
- Nine nuclear-armed countries – the US, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – had a total of 13,080 nuclear weapons at the beginning of
- As a result, we can say that Russia and the US have more than 90 percent of the total global nuclear weapons.
Current Concerns:
- Currently, the total number of nuclear weapons in the global military stockpile is increasing, while the trend of global nuclear weapons decline since the end of the Cold War has stopped. In this way, it is a worrying sign to bring peace to the whole world.
- The second biggest concern is that India and Pakistan are developing new technologies and capabilities, dangerously undermining each other’s security on the frontline of nuclear war.
- In this way, India and Pakistan can put everyone at risk by using their nuclear weapons for the wrong reason during a crisis situation in the future.
- China’s emerging image as a nuclear-armed nation is adding to India’s security challenges.
India’s view on nuclear weapons:
- India has always adhered to the policy of No First Use (NFU) against nuclear weapon states and has also expressed its commitment to a policy of ‘No Use’ against non-nuclear states.
- The Conference on Disarmament (CD) is the world’s only multilateral disarmament agreement forum, and India supports holding talks under a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention through this forum.
- India has also committed to negotiate a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) through the Disarmament Convention.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
- The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute is an international institute based in Stockholm, established in It primarily provides data, analysis and recommendations for armed conflict, military expenditure and the arms trade, as well as disarmament and arms control.
- The main objective of SIPRI is to contribute to the understanding of international conflicts and situations of peaceful resolution for lasting peace. Also, to conduct scientific research on issues of conflict and cooperation of importance to international peace and security.
Source – Indian Express