India Calls for Human Control of Nuclear Weapons at UN
India urged the United Nations to establish a legally binding framework for nuclear disarmament and insisted that humans, not AI, must control nuclear launch decisions.
The Government of India called for a universal, non-discriminatory, and verifiable legally binding framework for nuclear disarmament during a session of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee on October 20, 2026.
Representing the nation, Member of Parliament Manish Tewari argued that the integration of artificial intelligence into defense systems introduces significant risks. He stated that decisions regarding the use of nuclear weapons must remain under human control to mitigate these dangers.
Tewari reaffirmed India's policy of credible minimum deterrence, its no first use posture, and its voluntary unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing. He advocated for legally binding negative security assurances for non-nuclear weapon states and pushed for the elimination of hair-trigger alert status to reduce nuclear danger.
While Tewari noted that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons does not create legal obligations for India, he maintained the country's commitment to global non-proliferation and the prevention of nuclear access for terrorists. India's Permanent Mission to the UN later reiterated this commitment to non-proliferation via social media.
