NPT and India — Prelims Strategy

Prelims Strategy

For Prelims preparation on NPT and India, focus on memorizing key facts and dates: NPT signed 1968, India's tests in 1974 and 1998, NSG formation in 1975, and 2008 waiver. Remember the three pillars of NPT and India's specific objections to each.

Practice questions on India's nuclear doctrine principles (No First Use, credible minimum deterrence, massive retaliation). Understand the difference between NPT signatories and non-signatories, and why countries like India, Pakistan, and Israel remain outside.

Study the timeline of India's nuclear diplomacy including key agreements like India-US Civil Nuclear Deal. Focus on current affairs related to NSG membership, QUAD cooperation, and India-China nuclear dynamics.

Use elimination techniques by understanding India's consistent positions - always supports disarmament but opposes discriminatory approaches, never transferred nuclear technology, maintains defensive nuclear posture.

Be careful about trap options that confuse India's civilian nuclear cooperation with military nuclear policy or mix up different treaties like NPT and CTBT.

Also build Paper II skills

Dense constitutional and IR passages mirror CSAT-style comprehension and argument evaluation—build those skills in parallel. CSAT hub.

• Valid & invalid arguments
• Syllogisms
• Critical reasoning