India reassures global community after test

India reassures global community after test

1. In a special address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India has successfully completed Mission Shakti, led by Defence Research and development Organization (DRDO). A low-orbit satellite was shot down using anti-satellite (ASAT) missile.
2. After the ASAT missile testing, India assured the world that the test was a defensive move aimed at securing India’s space infrastructure. The testing was not in violation of any international law or treaty to which India is a party or any national obligation.
3. India has also reiterated its support of Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) in the Conference on Disarmament. PAROS is a UN resolution that reaffirms the fundamental principles of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. It advocates a ban on the weaponization of space.
4. Outer Space Treaty, formally Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, (1967) is the principal international treaty on space. It binds the parties to use outer space only for peaceful purposes. The treaty prohibits use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in outer space.
5. Conference on Disarmament is a disarmament forum established to negotiate arms control and disarmament agreement.  The Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva serves as the Secretary-General of the Conference.