Happymon Jacob speaks to Vipin Narang (author of Nuclear Strategy in the Modern Era) about the status of India’s ‘No First Use’ nuclear policy in the light of defence minister Rajnath Singh’s statement that India’s adherence to it in the future will depend on the circumstances.
Narang argues that continued aggression by Pakistan has led to a shift in India’s counterforce strategy. It has prompted the leadership in Delhi to explore more flexible pre-emptive counterforce options in an attempt to re-establish deterrence. He also discusses nuclear escalation dynamics between India and Pakistan and possible strategies for the two nuclear-armed neighbours.