The Weapons Of Mass Destruction Amendment Bill, 2022:
The bill was recently passed in Lok Sabha.
- The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, passed in 2005, only banned the manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction.
- The amendment bill is aimed at widening its ambit.
Highlights of the Bill:
- The Bill bars persons from financing any prohibited activity related to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
To prevent persons from financing such activities, the central government may freeze, seize or attach their funds, financial assets, or economic resources. - It may also prohibit persons from making finances or related services available for the benefit of other persons in relation to any activity which is prohibited.
Weapons of mass destruction are weapons with the capacity to inflict death and destruction on such a massive scale and so indiscriminately that its very presence in the hands of a hostile power can be considered a grievous threat.
- India’s 2005 WMD Act defines Weapons of mass destruction as biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons.
- In the USA, WMD includes a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or other device that is intended to harm a large number of people.
