“Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are not utopian ideals. They are critical to

global peace and security.”

–Ban Ki-moon

Can we undo the inexplicable wrongs we have committed? This was precisely the thought put when formulating the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. This came into effect with 43 members on 5th March, 1973. But there are two official Nuclear Weapon nations which have not signed this treaty, i.e. Pakistan and India. Both of these countries are caught in a trap, as they wait for the other to sign it and dismember their nuclear weapons programmes one by one. But, should this be done in the first place? Many countries argue that this is unfair, with the Permanent Five Members of the Security Council – China, Russia, USA, France and UK – getting to gradually dismantle their programmes while the rest of the countries cannot have the right to attain the weapons. Decades later, now the US and Russia are stockpiling again. The question is, does the NPT hold any relevance anymore?