What is/are the consequence/consequences of a country becoming the member of the 'Nuclear Suppliers Group'?
- 1.It will have access to the latest and most efficient nuclear technologies.
- 2.It automatically becomes a member of "The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)".
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
The NSG is an informal club of nuclear supplier countries that coordinates export controls, so joining it eases a country's access to nuclear trade and technology. It is not a treaty body, and joining it does not by itself make a country a party to the NPT.
- ✓ 1. NSG participants shape and share the rules of nuclear trade among the main supplier states, which gives them easier access to advanced nuclear technology and equipment.
- ✗ 2. The NSG was not created by a treaty; it is a voluntary, non-legally binding association. NPT membership comes only by signing and ratifying the NPT itself.
Remember · NSG: voluntary supplier-country group formed 1975 after India's 1974 test; controls nuclear and dual-use exports through two sets of Guidelines; not a treaty, so membership does not mean NPT membership.
Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions, Nuclear Suppliers Group ↗ “No. The NSG is a voluntary, non-legally binding association of major supplier governments. It was not created by a treaty.”
- About the NSG, Nuclear Suppliers Group ↗ “The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2018, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·