Rajya Sabha takes up discussion on Weapon of Mass Destruction Amendment Bill 2022

Tags: National News

Rajya Sabha on 21 July took up discussion on the Weapon of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill 2022.

Important facts

• This bill has been brought to amend the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery System (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005.

• The 2005 Act prohibits illegal activities such as the manufacture, transportation, or transfer of weapons of mass destruction and their means of distribution.

• The bill envisages a prohibition on the financing of any activity related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and empowers to take action against the financiers of such activities.

Purpose of the Bill

• Prohibiting the financing of activities related to weapons of mass destruction

• Empowering the Centre to freeze, confiscate or attach money, financial assets or economic resources to prevent financing.

• Prohibiting the provision of money, financial assets or economic resources in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

What are weapons of mass destruction?

• Weapons that are likely to cause large-scale death and destruction and their presence in the hands of an enemy power can be considered a serious threat.

• Nuclear, biological, chemical weapons can be called weapons of mass destruction.

• The atomic bomb used in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks in Japan is one of the weapons of mass destruction.

• To control the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968, the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972 and the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 are the main ones.

• India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but is a signatory to both the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention.