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2022 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

4. ‘Secrecy as Security Strategy’ in India’s Nuclear Governance

Author : Sitakanta Mishra

Published in: Varying Dimensions of India’s National Security

Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore

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Abstract

Any attempt to fathom the exact contour of India’s nuclear inventory and related assets would be futile as New Delhi adheres to a great deal of “secrecy” as a security strategy, unlike the United States that publishes some technical safeguards and procedural steps it takes to secure its nuclear assets. The strategy of “secrecy” has been persistent ever since India began its nuclear journey. Both in the civilian and strategic domain, India has barely shown the steps undertaken to strengthen deterrence as well as safety-security of assets. In addition, India’s self-prescribed NFU posture warrants “opacity and ambiguity” to strengthen the survivability of its assets in the face of the first strike from an adversary. This chapter enquires the rationale and necessity of secretive strategy in India’s nuclear discourse while putting forward a list of policy prescriptions for authorities to consider some calculated transparency measures, as per comfort level, as India has now become an established and confident nuclear power.

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Title: ‘Secrecy as Security Strategy’ in India’s Nuclear Governance
Author: Sitakanta Mishra
Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore
Book: Varying Dimensions of India’s National Security
Print ISBN: 978-981-16-7592-8

Electronic ISBN: 978-981-16-7593-5

Copyright Year: 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7593-5_4