International Non-proliferation Regime and Organised Hypocrisy

NPT recognised Nuclear Weapons States have made no serious attempt to disarm and only do lip service to nuclear disarmament ever since they agreed to do the same in good faith. They have not only retained their nuclear weapons but also kept increasing their nuclear arsenals. Furthermore, their nuclear capability is often used as a tool in pursuing their geostrategic objectives. The paper argues that states viewed as strategic allies are supported in their nuclear ambitions whereas other states, despite their genuine security concerns, are actively and collectively discouraged from developing a deterrent. India is a prime example in point which has been given a special status outside NPT. The paper aims to critically examine the evolution of nuclear nonproliferation regime and how geostrategic interests and great power rivalry overshadow this regime. Using Indo-US nuclear cooperation driven by Sino-American competition as a case study, this paper examines the effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime using Krasner’s organised hypocrisy model.