Bill to prohibit financing weapons of mass destruction introduced in Lok Sabha
Highlights
- Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Amendment) Bill was introduced in LS.
- The Act criminalises a range of unlawful activities in relation to weapons of mass destruction.
- It prohibits any person not duly authorised by the Central Government to deal with such weapons.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday introduced the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems Amendment Bill, 2022 in the Lok Sabha. The Act criminalises a range of unlawful activities in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. It prohibits any person not duly authorised by the Central Government to deal with weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
The 2005 Act only prohibited the manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. However, the new legislation prohibits the financing of such weapons. The Act was enacted in June 2005 and provides for an integrated and overarching legislation on prohibiting unlawful activities in relation to weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems and related materials, equipment and technologies.
All you need to know:
- The Bill seeks to make an insertion in the existing Act after Section 12: “No person shall finance any activity which is prohibited under this Act, or under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947 or any other relevant Act for the time being in force, or by an order issued under any such Act, in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.”
- The bill 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. (Sections 8 & 9).
- It also prohibits transfer, acquisition, possession or transport of fissile or radioactive material for use in terrorist acts. (Source: United Nations BWC National Implementation Database (NID) Weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
- Any person who knowingly contravenes, abets or attempts to contravene, the provisions of sub-section (4) of section 13 of this Act, shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than three lakh rupees and which may extend to twenty lakh rupees.
- Any person who contravenes, or attempts to abet the provisions of section 8 or section 10 of the 2005 act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
