The Lok Sabha has passed the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022. The Bill has been passed to amend the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005.

Overview:

• In accordance with India’s international commitments, the amendment bill was passed to prohibit the financing of the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
• The 2005 Act prohibited the transport, manufacturing, and transfer of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

The reason for amending the act

The amendment of the act is necessary as in recent times, the various regulations that are in place and are related to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery system’s proliferation by international organizations have increased.  The Financial Action Task Force also has sanctioned the financing of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems proliferation.

What are Weapons of Mass Destruction?

A weapon of mass destruction is a radiological, nuclear, biological, chemical, or any other weapon that can cause significant harm as well as kill numerous individuals and also cause great damage to infrastructures, the biosphere, or the natural structures.

What does India’s 2005 WMD Act say about the definition of WMDs?

Under this act, biological weapons have been defined as weapons that are specially designed to use various toxins or agents for hostile purposes or during armed conflict. The act defines chemical weapons as weapons that are used to cause death and destruction using toxic chemicals.

How is the use of WMDs controlled?

Through the use of various international treaties, the use of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons is regulated. Some of the treaties are the Geneva Protocol, 1925, which banned the use of biological and chemical weapons; the Chemical Weapons Convention, 1992, and the Biological Weapons Convention, 1972, which bans chemical and biological weapons. These two treaties have been signed and ratified by India. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regulates nuclear weapons proliferation.