Weapons of Mass Destruction and Non-Proliferation MCQs 2026

India's status regarding the NPT is that it

1. Ais a founding signatory and NWS✓
2. Bsigned in 1970 and ratified in 1974✓
3. Cwithdrew after Pokhran-II tests✓
4. Dhas not signed the treaty and considers it discriminatory✓

Pakistan's position on the NPT is that it

1. Aratified in 1970 as a non-nuclear state✓
2. Bjoined as a nuclear-weapon state in 1998✓
3. Chas not joined and links accession to regional balance with India✓
4. Dsigned and ratified the Additional Protocol only✓

Horizontal nuclear proliferation refers to

1. Aincreasing warhead stockpiles by existing nuclear powers✓
2. Bthe spread of nuclear weapons to additional states✓
3. Cimproving delivery systems within one state only✓
4. Dcivilian nuclear power expansion only✓

Vertical nuclear proliferation refers to

1. Afirst acquisition by a new state✓
2. Bbanning all nuclear tests globally✓
3. Cqualitative or quantitative expansion of arsenals by existing nuclear powers✓
4. Dcivilian reactor construction only✓

The Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) was signed in

1. A1963✓
2. B1945✓
3. C1970✓
4. D1996✓

The PTBT prohibits nuclear weapon tests

1. Aunderground tests only✓
2. Bin the atmosphere, outer space and under water✓
3. Call tests including underground✓
4. Donly atmospheric tests over oceans✓

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was adopted in

1. A1963✓
2. B1985✓
3. C1996✓
4. D2010✓

The CTBT has not entered into force primarily because

1. AIAEA rejected it✓
2. BNPT superseded it✓
3. COPCW administers it instead✓
4. Drequired Annex 2 states have not all ratified✓

The proposed Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) would

1. Aban production of fissile material for nuclear weapons✓
2. Babolish all existing warheads immediately✓
3. Cpermit unlimited HEU enrichment for weapons✓
4. Dreplace IAEA safeguards entirely✓

FMCT negotiations have been stalled mainly in the

1. AIAEA Board of Governors✓
2. BUN General Assembly Fifth Committee✓
3. CNATO Nuclear Planning Group✓
4. DConference on Disarmament in Geneva✓

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was established in

1. A1945✓
2. B1968✓
3. C1974✓
4. D1957✓

The headquarters of the IAEA is in

1. AGeneva, Switzerland✓
2. BVienna, Austria✓
3. CThe Hague, Netherlands✓
4. DNew York, USA✓

IAEA safeguards are designed to

1. Aenforce NPT sanctions on non-members✓
2. Boperate NATO nuclear sharing✓
3. Ccontrol missile exports globally✓
4. Dverify that nuclear material is not diverted to weapons✓

The CTBTO Preparatory Commission monitors compliance using

1. AIAEA safeguards alone✓
2. BNSG export reports only✓
3. Ca global International Monitoring System (IMS)✓
4. DNATO AWACS aircraft✓

A nuclear hotline between India and Pakistan was established to

1. Aimplement NPT safeguards✓
2. Bcoordinate CTBT ratification✓
3. Creduce risk of miscalculation during crises✓
4. Dshare enrichment technology✓

Nuclear security summits (2010–2016) focused on

1. Asecuring fissile material and preventing nuclear terrorism✓
2. Babolishing NATO nuclear sharing✓
3. Cexpanding weapons testing✓
4. Dreplacing NPT with TPNW✓

Fissile material suitable for nuclear weapons typically includes

1. Adepleted uranium only✓
2. Bnatural uranium without enrichment✓
3. Cheavy water alone✓
4. Dhighly enriched uranium and weapon-grade plutonium✓

The Australia Group coordinates export controls on

1. Achemical and biological weapons-related materials✓
2. Bnuclear reactors only✓
3. Cconventional small arms only✓
4. Dcyber tools exclusively✓

The Wassenaar Arrangement controls exports of

1. Aconventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies✓
2. Bnuclear warheads only✓
3. Cagricultural commodities✓
4. Dinternational migration flows✓

South Asia's nuclear rivalry is often analyzed through the lens of

1. Astability–instability paradox and crisis escalation✓
2. Bpurely economic competition✓
3. CMaritime law disputes only✓
4. DUN peacekeeping mandates✓

A minimum credible deterrence posture seeks

1. Anumerical parity with every global power✓
2. Bunlimited warhead production✓
3. Ca survivable arsenal sufficient to inflict unacceptable damage✓
4. Dfirst-strike dominance✓

The 1968 NPT distinguishes nuclear-weapon states as those that

1. Amanufactured and exploded a device before 1 January 1967✓
2. Bjoined NATO before 1950✓
3. Cpossess ICBMs only✓
4. Dratified CTBT before 1996✓

UN Security Council Resolution 1887 (2009) addressed

1. Anuclear non-proliferation and disarmament broadly✓
2. BIran sanctions only✓
3. CLibya civil war only✓
4. Dcyber warfare exclusively✓

Dual-use technology in non-proliferation refers to items that

1. Aare used only for weapons✓
2. Bcannot be exported legally✓
3. Care exempt from IAEA safeguards✓
4. Dcan serve both civilian and military nuclear purposes✓

The concept of nuclear taboo suggests that

1. Atesting is encouraged under NPT✓
2. Bproliferation is legally unlimited✓
3. Cdeterrence never works✓
4. Dusing nuclear weapons has become largely unthinkable due to normative stigma✓

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) entered into force in

1. A1963✓
2. B1970✓
3. C1985✓
4. D1996✓

The NPT rests on three main pillars

1. Atrade liberalization, sanctions and deterrence only✓
2. Bverification, export controls and sanctions only✓
3. Cpeaceful use, sanctions and first-strike only✓
4. Dnon-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy✓

The five recognized nuclear-weapon states under the NPT are

1. AIndia, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea and Iran✓
2. BUnited States, India, France, Israel and China✓
3. CRussia, India, Pakistan, China and France✓
4. DUnited States, Russia, United Kingdom, France and China✓

The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was formed largely in response to

1. APakistan's 1998 tests✓
2. BIndia's 1974 nuclear test (Smiling Buddha)✓
3. CNorth Korea's 2006 test✓
4. DSoviet Union's first test✓

The NSG seeks to

1. Aban all nuclear energy worldwide✓
2. Bverify CTBT compliance✓
3. Ccontrol exports of nuclear materials, equipment and technology✓
4. Dadminister the Chemical Weapons Convention✓

India obtained a waiver from the NSG in 2008 to

1. Aengage in civil nuclear trade despite not being an NPT member✓
2. Bbecome a recognized nuclear-weapon state✓
3. Cconduct unlimited weapons tests✓
4. Djoin NATO nuclear planning✓

India's declared nuclear doctrine emphasizes

1. Afirst-strike preemption as standard policy✓
2. Bunlimited arsenal expansion✓
3. CNATO-style extended deterrence for allies✓
4. DNo First Use (NFU) and credible minimum deterrence✓

Debate over India's NFU policy often concerns whether

1. AIndia has never stated NFU publicly✓
2. Bcircumstances such as chemical/biological attack or arsenal loss could lead to revision✓
3. CPakistan also maintains NFU✓
4. DNFU is mandated by the NPT✓

Pakistan's Full Spectrum Deterrence doctrine aims to

1. Amatch India's NFU pledge✓
2. Bdeter threats at tactical, operational and strategic levels✓
3. Celiminate all nuclear weapons in South Asia✓
4. Drely solely on conventional forces✓

Pakistan rejects a No First Use policy primarily because

1. ANPT requires first use✓
2. BIAEA mandates preemption✓
3. Cit fears conventional inferiority could invite Indian aggression✓
4. DChina pressures Pakistan to reject NFU✓

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is administered by

1. AIAEA✓
2. BCTBTO✓
3. Cthe Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)✓
4. DNSG✓

The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) entered into force in

1. A1975✓
2. B1963✓
3. C1993✓
4. D2001✓

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force in

1. A1996✓
2. B2021✓
3. C2005✓
4. D2015✓

Nuclear-weapon states under the NPT are obligated under Article VI to

1. Apursue negotiations in good faith on nuclear disarmament✓
2. Btransfer weapons to allies freely✓
3. Cexpand arsenals for deterrence✓
4. Dwithdraw from IAEA safeguards✓

NPT Article IV addresses

1. Amandatory disarmament timelines✓
2. Bthe right to develop peaceful nuclear energy✓
3. Cban on all enrichment✓
4. DIAEA punitive strikes✓

The Additional Protocol to IAEA safeguards provides for

1. Aabolition of all safeguards✓
2. Bbroader inspections including undeclared sites✓
3. Cweapons-only verification✓
4. DCTBT monitoring only✓

North Korea announced its withdrawal from the NPT in

1. A1994✓
2. B2006✓
3. C2010✓
4. D2003✓

Israel's nuclear policy is commonly described as

1. Afull NPT membership as NWS✓
2. Bpublic NFU treaty ratification✓
3. Cnuclear ambiguity (amimut) without confirming or denying arsenal✓
4. Dcomplete nuclear disarmament by 1990✓

The MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) primarily controls

1. Afissile material production✓
2. Bbiological agents only✓
3. Cexports of missiles and related delivery technology✓
4. Dcyber weapons exclusively✓

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) during the Cold War assumed

1. Aboth superpowers could survive a first strike and retaliate devastatingly✓
2. Bone side could win a nuclear war cleanly✓
3. Cnuclear weapons would never be used✓
4. Dconventional forces were irrelevant✓

The INF Treaty (1987) between the US and USSR banned

1. Aall submarine-launched missiles✓
2. Ball nuclear testing worldwide✓
3. Cground-launched intermediate-range nuclear missiles✓
4. Dshort-range artillery only✓

The US withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019 citing

1. AIAEA non-compliance✓
2. BRussian violations and emerging Chinese missile capabilities✓
3. CNPT expiration✓
4. DOPCW budget disputes✓

India conducted its Pokhran-II nuclear tests in

1. AMay 1998✓
2. B1974 only✓
3. C1990✓
4. D2006✓

Pakistan responded to Pokhran-II with its Chagai tests in

1. A1974✓
2. BMay 1998✓
3. C1990✓
4. D2001✓

Extended nuclear deterrence refers to

1. Astates extending test moratoria only✓
2. Ba nuclear state pledging to protect non-nuclear allies with its arsenal✓
3. Chorizontal proliferation to allies✓
4. DIAEA technical assistance✓