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Low score on N-security by GS Mudur

A non-government assessment has ranked India third from the bottom among the world’s nine nuclear armed states in its ability to secure nuclear materials from theft, with only Pakistan and North Korea with lower scores.

The nuclear materials security index, released by the US-based non-profit Nuclear Threat Initiative (NIT) yesterday, is described as “the first, public baseline assessment of the status of nuclear materials security conditions” worldwide.

A panel of nuclear and security experts drawn from around the world analysed the security environments around nuclear materials in 32 countries, including the nine nuclear-armed nations, that have 1kg or more of weapons-usable materials.

The experts examined countries’ ability to protect nuclear materials by analysing quantities and the number of sites of nuclear materials, security and control measures, alignments with international security practices and societal factors.

India has been assigned an overall rank of 28 among the 32 countries. Vietnam, Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea had lower scores. But among nuclear-armed nations, India is third from the bottom with only Pakistan and North Korea below.

The report assigns India a score of 43 for societal factors, a rank even below North Korea which has been given 45 for societal factors. NTI analysts say societal factors are an important component in securing nuclear materials.

“A country may have the laws and regulations in place, but societal factors such as political instability or corruption may compromise its ability to implement these rules,” said Deepti Choubey, a policy analyst and senior director for nuclear and biological security at the NTI. “The pervasiveness of corruption in India could be a factor that pulled down its score on societal factors,” Choubey told The Telegraph.

Pakistan scored 5 on societal factors, while China scored 28. But China has a high score, 82, on domestic commitments and capacity for securing nuclear materials, in contrast to India’s 50 on domestic commitments and capacity.

An official with India’s department of atomic energy (DAE) said nuclear materials in the country are absolutely secure. “We have a perfect accounting system with multiple tiers of checks,” said DAE spokesperson Swapnesh Malhotra. “Any report that ranks India lower than North Korea on societal factors is not even worth discussing,” he said.

DAE sources in the past have asserted that all of India’s nuclear facilities have security measures and checks in place. “This is one reason why privatisation of nuclear industry has not happened here yet,” an official said.

The sale of radioactive material by Delhi University to a scrap dealer last year had triggered concerns about laxity over nuclear materials.

NTI analysts said there are concerns that nuclear materials might be stolen or sold to terrorists. “There is evidence that the elements of a perfect storm are in place: an ample supply of weapons-usable nuclear materials, some poorly secured, and the determination of terrorist organisations that have publicly stated their desire to get the materials,” US senator Sam Nunn, and NTI co-chairman said in a statement.

The index has ranked the highest among the nuclear-armed states, although it is 10th among the set of 32 countries. Australia ranks No. 1 in the 32 countries, while the US is ranked second in the nuclear-armed states.

“We’re trying to create a tool that we’re hoping will help countries determine the path forward to assuring nuclear materials are safe,” said Choubey.

“The index underscores that all countries with weapons —usable nuclear materials — have a responsibility... to take steps to secure them and provide continued assurances to the rest of the world that those materials are not at risk for theft or diversion.”