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Question

The Chairman of Bharat Missiles Ltd (BML) was watching a program on TV wherein the Prime Minister was addressing the nation on the necessity of developing a self-reliant India. He subconsciously nodded in agreement and smiled to himself as he mentally reviewed BML's journey in the past two decades. BML had admirably progressed from producing first generation anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to designing and producing state of the art ATGM weapon systems that would be the envy of any army. He sighed in reconciliation with his assumptions that the government would probably not alter the status quo of a ban on export of military weaponry.
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To his surprise, the very next day he got a telephone call from the Director General, Ministry of Defence, asking him to discuss the modalities of increasing BML production of ATGMs as there is a possibility of exporting the same to a friendly foreign country. The Director General wanted the Chairman to discuss the details with his staff at Delhi next week.
Two days later, at a press conference, the Defence Minister stated that he aims to double the current weapons export levels within five years. This would give an impetus to financing the development and manufacture of indigenous weapons in the country. He also stated that all indigenous arms manufacturing nations have a very good record of international arms trade.

As Chairman of BML, what are your views on the following point?
List five ethical factors that would influence the decision to sell arms to foreign governments.

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CSE 2020 (Prelims) CSAT Previous Year Paper (04-Oct-2020)
  1. Recipient's Human Rights Record: A country's respect for human rights is paramount; we cannot arm oppressors.
  2. Regional Stability Impact: Will the sale exacerbate existing conflicts or introduce new instability to a region?
  3. End-Use Guarantees: Strict assurances are needed that weapons will only be used for legitimate defense and not against civilian populations or for aggression.
  4. Transparency and Accountability: The transaction must be transparent, adhering to international norms, minimizing corruption risks.
  5. Alignment with India's Foreign Policy: Sales must support, not undermine, India's broader diplomatic goals and commitment to peace.

Answered By:

Anushka Goel

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