Parliament and the making of Indian Foreign Policy

Description

Based on parliamentary debates and interviews with legislators and officials, this book assesses the role of parliament in the formulation of Indian foreign policy. The study presents a theoretical framework for analysing the role of parliament in the making of Indian foreign policy. It focuses on parliament’s role in the making of nuclear policy in a number of issue areas — the scientific and technological aspects of atomic energy policy, the debate on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the peaceful nuclear explosion of May 1974, and the question of India’s nuclear weapons option. In conclusion, the author makes policy recommendations on how the parliament can provide critical inputs in the formulation of Indian foreign policy. This book will prove useful for students and scholars of political science, international relations, and Indian foreign policy. CONTENTS Preface - vii Acknowledgements - ix 1. Parliament and Foreign Policy: A Conceptual Framework - 1 2. The Science and Technology Factors - 19 3. India and the NPT - 33 4. India’s Peaceful Nuclear Explosion - 49 5. The Nuclear Weapon Option - 62 6. The Role of Parliament - 72 Bibliography - 87 Index - 93