Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Why in news?

• A senior Russian diplomat has said that Moscow will revoke its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)

About Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

• CTBT is a multilateral treaty which prohibits any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion anywhere in the world.
• It bans all nuclear explosions, whether for military or peaceful purposes.
• The treaty was opened for signature in September 1996 and has been signed by 187 nations and ratified by 178.
• The treaty cannot formally enter into force until it is ratified by 44 specific nations, eight of which have yet to do so: China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran, Egypt, and the United States.
• India did not sign the treaty due to national security concerns.
• Russia says withdrawal from ratification of nuclear weapons test ban treaty aims to place Russia on 'equal footing' with the US, which has signed but not ratified the pact.
• The US has not ratified the CTBT by citing the difficulty in verifying whether or not participant States meet the rules of the Treaty.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Which among the following treaty/group is India not a part of?

(a) Australia Group

(b) Missile Technology Control Regime

(c) Wassenaar Arrangement

(d) Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Answer