No First Use (NFU) Treaty: Safeguarding Global Peace
Explore the significance of the No First Use (NFU) Treaty in ensuring global peace. Learn how India’s NFU doctrine, adopted in 1998, can lead global efforts toward nuclear restraint, disarmament, and strategic stability.
No First Use Treaty: India’s Leadership in Global Nuclear Restraint
Amid growing nuclear brinkmanship and the erosion of international arms-control norms, the need for global nuclear restraint has become urgent. India, with its credible No First Use (NFU) doctrine, is uniquely positioned to champion a universal NFU treaty that curbs nuclear escalation and promotes strategic stability. As the world faces renewed threats of nuclear confrontation and modernisation of arsenals, reviving the principle of restraint is vital to maintaining global peace and security.
What is the No First Use (NFU) Doctrine?
The No First Use (NFU) policy is a nuclear posture under which a state pledges not to use nuclear weapons first, but reserves the right to retaliate if attacked with them. This principle serves as a stabilizing force, reducing the likelihood of preemptive strikes and accidental escalation.
India’s NFU Policy was adopted after Pokhran-II in 1998 and formally articulated in the 2003 Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) note, which reaffirmed India’s commitment to credible minimum deterrence and a retaliation-only nuclear strategy. India’s doctrine rests on three pillars — deterrence, restraint, and responsibility — distinguishing it from aggressive first-use postures of other nuclear powers.
Globally, only India and China have declared official NFU policies. Other nuclear-armed states — including the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea — maintain first-use options, thereby heightening the risk of miscalculation and crisis escalation.
Why is a Global NFU Treaty Required?
1. Rising Nuclear Risks
The Doomsday Clock (2025), maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, now sits perilously close to midnight — symbolizing humanity’s proximity to nuclear catastrophe. This reflects the breakdown of key arms-control regimes and the resurgence of nuclear competition.
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The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty has collapsed.
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The New START Treaty between the US and Russia is set to expire in 2026, with renewal prospects uncertain.
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Discussions on resuming nuclear testing threaten to undermine the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), eroding decades of restraint.
Simultaneously, advanced weapon developments — such as Russia’s Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile and emerging anti-satellite nuclear capabilities — have extended the nuclear domain into space. These developments signal a dangerous new era of nuclear arms racing and weaponisation of space, posing existential risks to global stability.
2. Moral and Humanitarian Imperative
The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which entered into force in 2021, underscores the global moral consensus that nuclear weapons inflict catastrophic humanitarian consequences. A global NFU treaty could serve as a pragmatic step toward disarmament — ensuring nuclear deterrence without the destabilizing risks of first-use policies.
NFU represents a middle ground: it preserves national security through deterrence while advancing moral and humanitarian objectives by committing nations never to initiate nuclear war.
3. India’s Leadership Opportunity
India’s consistent adherence to NFU bolsters its image as a responsible nuclear power and strengthens its case for global leadership in nuclear diplomacy. Championing a Global NFU Treaty aligns with India’s strategic autonomy and its long-standing advocacy for nuclear restraint at international forums like the United Nations and the Conference on Disarmament.
By promoting NFU globally, India can spearhead a coalition of responsible nuclear states, foster confidence-building measures, and bridge divides between nuclear and non-nuclear nations. This would not only reinforce India’s moral standing but also serve its national security interests, as global NFU commitments would reduce regional instability, especially in South Asia.
Conclusion
A Global No First Use Treaty is essential to curb nuclear adventurism and prevent catastrophic escalation in an increasingly volatile world. By institutionalizing restraint, NFU offers a credible pathway toward peace and controlled deterrence. With its established record of responsible nuclear conduct, India is well-placed to lead this global initiative, reaffirming its vision of a peaceful, stable, and nuclear risk-free world.
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The Source’s Authority and Ownership of the Article is Claimed By THE STUDY IAS BY MANIKANT SINGH
