Debate, KPR Institute Engineering and Technology, Autonomous Engineering Institution, Coimbatore, India

The ultimate outcome of the debate over India’s nuclear status is a delicate balance between strategic necessity and moral responsibility. Proponents successfully argue that in an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape, a credible minimum deterrent is an essential safeguard that has effectively prevented full-scale regional wars through the principle of Mutually Assured Destruction. Conversely, the opposition highlights the sobering reality that the mere existence of such weapons creates a permanent risk of catastrophic miscalculation and diverts vast resources from critical social development. Ultimately, India’s position is defined by its No First Use doctrine, which attempts to reconcile these two sides by framing the arsenal not as a tool of aggression, but as a silent, defensive pillar of national sovereignty.