The inherent dual nature of the power of the atom, as provider of electricity or as a weapon of mass destruction, has dictated national policies and international security agendas for decades now. A resurgence of interest in nuclear energy promises a reliable and environmentally sustainable source of electricity. But it also poses the risk of nuclear proliferation since mastery of nuclear fuel technology can also bring nations to the technical threshold of nuclear weapons. The decision, then, to cross the line is a political one. Except for four countries (India, Pakistan, Israel and North...

May 1998 marked the culmination of the long debate on India's nuclear status. It also initiated the country's journey towards credible, nuclear deterrence. Over the last decade, India has taken many steps down this path, with varying degrees of speed, levels of transparency and measures of success. Nuclear policy-making is traditionally shrouded in secrecy. But, for credible deterrence, the mystery must be balanced with some transparency. Surprise in military capability and tactics is a virtue of conventional warfare, but credible nuclear deterrence demands a demonstration of capability, the...

Air Commodore Jasjit Singh was one of India's foremost strategic analysts. The only constant for him in over three decades of research, analyses and writing was the centrality of national interest. Indeed, the man never let the nation down, whether as an air warrior or a strategist - ever ready to voice his views irrespective of how the wind was blowing - and always remaining practical in approach. Ever an optimist, he believed that India would inevitably rise to power by the sheer size of its economy and human resource potential. A greater concern for him, however, was the need to sensitize...