Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)

• The CTBT is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions, whether for military or peaceful purposes. 

• Although it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996, it’s still in the ratification stage.

• For the treaty to enter into force, it must be signed and ratified by 44 specific nuclear technology holder countries, eight of which have yet to ratify the agreement: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States.

• The roots of the CTBT can be traced back to the Cold War era when the United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in a nuclear arms race, conducting numerous nuclear tests.

• The CTBT Organisation, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, oversees the implementation of the treaty. It maintains the monitoring system, manages verification activities, and provides a forum for dialogue among member states.

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

• The NPT is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament.

• Opened for signature in 1968, the Treaty entered into force in 1970 and on 11 May 1995, It was extended indefinitely.

• With 191 States parties, it is the most widely adhered to treaty in the field of nuclear non-proliferation.

• India is not a party to the NPT

• The treaty establishes a safeguards system under the responsibility of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Safeguards are used to verify compliance with the Treaty through inspections conducted by the IAEA.