TARKASH EXCERCISE - DEFENCE AND SECURITY
News: First
time, India-US exercise includes response to nuke & bio terror attacks
What's in the news?
● With
chemical and biological warfare being recognized as a looming threat to the
world, an ongoing Indo-US joint exercise
has for the first time included “Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
(CBRN) terror response” in its drill.
Key takeaways:
● The
exercise comes in the backdrop of Russian allegations against Ukraine in May
last year that Kyiv had orchestrated a chemical attack in Kharkiv to blame
Russia and get military aid from the West.
TARKASH Exercise:
● It
is the exercise conducted by the National Security Guard (NSG) and US Special
Operations Forces (SOF).
● It
is the sixth edition of the exercise.
Location: Chennai.
Period:
January 16 - February 14.
Significance:
● Included
“Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN)" terror response
for the first time.
● The
training provided an opportunity for both the forces to gain proficiency and
enhance skill sets for an effective CBRN terror response.
● The
joint exercise between the two forces also involved sharing of best practices
and tactics over a wide spectrum of anti-terror operations in urban
environment, including close quarter battle, building intervention drills,
hostage rescue operations, surveillance, long range sniping and planning
complex operations involving multiple targets in multiple locations.
Go back to basics:
Chemical Weapons Convention:
● The
Convention on the Prohibition of the
Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their
Destruction is a multilateral treaty banning chemical weapons and requiring
their destruction within the stipulated time.
● The
convention was drafted in September 1992 and opened for signature in January
1993.
● It
became effective from April 1997.
Mandate:
● It
makes it mandatory to destroy old and
abandoned chemical weapons.
● Members
should also declare the riot-control agents (sometimes referred to as ‘tear
gas’) in possession of them.
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons:
● It
is an international organization established by the CWC in 1997 to implement
and enforce the terms of the CWC.
● It
is headquartered in The Hague.
Members:
● It
has 192 state parties and 165 signatories.
● India is a signatory of
the convention.
● Three
states have neither signed nor ratified the convention are Egypt, North Korea
and South Sudan.
Prohibition Under the Convention:
● The
development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, or retention of chemical
weapons.
● Transferring
of chemical weapons.
● Using
chemical weapons.
● Assisting
other States to indulge in activities that are prohibited by the CWC.
● Using
riot-control devices as ‘warfare methods’
Specific Features:
● A
unique feature of the Convention is its incorporation of the ‘challenge inspection’. Under this, any
State Party in doubt about another State Party’s compliance can request a
surprise inspection.
Other Related Conventions:
1. Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
(Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes):
● The
Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are multilateral environmental
agreements, which share the common objective of protecting human health and the
environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.
2. Australia Group:
● The
Australia Group (AG) is an informal
forum of countries which, through the harmonization of export controls,
seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical
or biological weapons.
Steps taken by India against Chemical Weapons:
● India
was the First State Party of the CWC
to secure the distinction of chemical weapon-free state Party by destroying all
its stockpile of its chemical weapons amongst all State Parties of the
Convention.
● India
enacted the Chemical Weapons Convention
Act, 2000 to implement the CWC.
● Under
the act, National Authority Chemical
Weapons Convention (NACWC) has been established for implementing the
provisions of the Convention. NACWC is an office in the Cabinet Secretariat,
Government of India.
● NACWC
also acts as the national focal point for effective liaison with the OPCW and
other State Parties on matters relating to the CWC.