20 Aug 2024 : The Indian Express

Editorial 1 : Steady in the Storm

Context: Why India’s nuclear doctrine remains relevant 25 years after it was drafted?

Origin of Nuclear Doctrine

India prepared its draft nuclear doctrine Within 15 months of its nuclear tests – Pokhran II.
The draft was made public so that the doctrine would, be properly studied before it attains finality.
The draft doctrine did not receive the official stamp.
The principles mentioned in the draft were reproduced in a press note that the government released after the doctrine was operationalised in 2003.

Draft Nuclear Doctrine

It transparently presented India’s conceptualisation of its role as a nuclear weapons state.
It unambiguously declared a political role for nuclear weapons.
It directed the building of credible deterrence at the minimum level, and for a retaliation-only policy.
The principles of the draft doctrine reflected sobriety and restraint and have since directed the structure of India’s nuclear force and its posture.

Changed nuclear threat landscape in neighbourhood

Pakistan routinely resorts to shrilly projections of its nuclear weapons.
China is undertaking an unprecedented expansion of its nuclear numbers and capabilities.
Pakistan’s use of cross-border terror and China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour are certainly the two topmost security threats India faces.

India’s growing nuclear arsenal

India has abjured large-scale accumulation of nuclear warheads or the need to match those of the adversary.
The draft doctrine does mandate a nuclear force that would be “effective, enduring, diverse, flexible and responsive”.
India’s arsenal is growing at a measured pace every year and there is no need for panic on this front since nuclear deterrence is not a numbers game.

Other necessary technological developments

No First use policy

A first-use strategy needs to be supported with a credible striking capability that would obviate, or significantly minimise, retaliation.
A credible first strike is not only difficult to build, but it will yield little by way of meaningful results against an adversary who has a robust second-strike capability.
Other argument is that India should dispense with ‘No First Use’ but not declare first use, thereby staying ambiguous.
But ambiguity would increase room for misperception and prove costly in conflict.

Tactical Nuclear Weapons

The draft doctrine omitted deterrence through the threat of the use of tactical nuclear weapons.
But the idea of limited destruction and escalation control are mere assumptions.
Even a planned tactical nuclear weapon use could result in a completely unstable situation since the response from the adversary can never be predicted.

Conclusion: Present relevance of doctrine

The basic attributes of the doctrine remain valid in the face of contemporary nuclear trends.
India’s nuclear doctrine, stands out for being a beacon of nuclear stability, even as others are indulging in behaviour that encourages a cycle of hedging strategies and an arms race.
The calmness of India’s doctrine is a virtue amidst today’s nuclear cacophony.

Editorial 2 : India’s Space

Context: Launch of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

SSLV milestone

SSLV is a 120-tonne rocket, about five times smaller than India’s largest satellite launch vehicle i.e. GSLV MK-III.
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) can carry payloads weighing up to 500 kg.

Significance of SSLV

SSLV will carry smaller payloads and satellites to space which had to earlier wait for months or years to be launched into space by vehicles that are designed for large satellites.
Miniaturisation of satellites has enabled the entry of universities, corporates and even individual innovators in the space field.
SSLV can prove to be a game changer for these micro and nano space stations.
SSLV can be assembled in less than a week by a much smaller team.
With ISRO planning to transfer technology to private players, the country’s space sector is poised for a significant expansion.

Small Satellites: Utility

The utility of small satellites is increasingly expanding in a variety of sectors, including weather forecasting, communications, defence, urban planning and disaster management.
These small satellites are crucial for Internet of Things (IoT).

Space Technology Market

Market for space technology is set to grow in the coming years.
US and EU companies are currently the biggest players, while China, Australia and Russia are beginning to expand their footprint.
India currently is a relatively smaller participant — its current share in the space economy is about 2%.

Emergence of Space Start-ups

Start-ups such as Hyderabad-based Skyroot and the Chennai-based Agnikul have ticked several boxes, including working closely with ISRO.
Agnikul
- It has built its own launch pad inside the Sriharikota range with ISRO’s help.
- This IIT-Madras incubated company is working on a launch vehicle to carry payloads smaller than ISRO’s SSLV
- It has ambitious plans to launch one rocket every week.

India’s Space Policy

India introduced its space policy in April 2023.
It recognised the country’s need to transition from the ISRO-dominated ecosystem.
It underlines ISRO’s enabling role in expanding the country’s footprint in the space economy.

Significance of ISRO and Space Technology

ISRO’s work remains crucial to diverse social objectives of the government — education, healthcare, agriculture, climate-change mitigation and environment protection.
Space tech is critical to the country’s security objectives.

Way Forward

There is a need to frame a regulatory mechanism that complements ISRO’s work.
It should enable manufacturers of small satellites and rockets to unlock their potential while making sure that the country’s welfare imperatives are not crowded out.