Weapon of Mass Destruction Bill 2022

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Context - In Lok Sabha, The Union Government has introduced a bill to prohibit the financing of weapons of mass destruction.

Details

The Foreign Minister has introduced a bill in Lok Sabha to prohibit the financing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and provides the government with the power to freeze and seize the assets of people involved in such activity.
The Minister stated that the existing Act (Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005) does not cover the financial aspect of such delivery systems and the new provisions are necessary to meet international obligations.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful activities) ACT, 2005

An Act to prohibit unlawful activities, in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
No person shall unlawfully manufacture, acquire, possess, develop or transport a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device and their means of delivery.
No person shall unlawfully transfer, directly or indirectly, to anyone a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive devices, or transfer control over such a weapon, knowing it to be a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive devices.
No person shall unlawfully manufacture, acquire, possess, develop or transport a biological or chemical weapon or their means of delivery.
No person shall unlawfully transfer, directly or indirectly, anyone's biological or chemical weapons.
No person shall unlawfully transfer, directly or indirectly, to anyone missiles specially designed for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction.
The Act makes it a severe criminal offence to transfer weapons of mass destruction, missiles specially designed for their delivery, and WMD-usable materials, equipment and technologies; or to transfer fissile or radioactive material for use in terrorist acts.
The Act also prohibits the transfer, acquisition, possession or transport of fissile or radioactive material for use in terrorist acts.

Key Features of the Bill

The 2005 Act only prohibited the manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
- The proposed bill also prohibits the financing of such weapons.
No person shall finance any activity which is prohibited under the Act, or under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947 or any other relevant Act, in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
The government will have the powers to “freeze, seize or attach funds or other financial assets or economic resources owned or controlled, wholly or jointly, directly or indirectly, by such person.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

A weapon of mass destruction is a broad term given to a class of weapons including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
It can be defined as those weapons which are extremely dangerous and have the potential of killing a large population.