Abstract
This research investigates how Indian and Western media portray India’s nuclear ambitions. The study highlights how these portrayals legitimize India’s exceptional position in the global non-proliferation regime and affect the strategic balance and crisis behaviour in South Asia. In the Indian media, the Indian nuclear program is framed as safe and progressive while ignoring the risks and challenges of the facilities, which are not under proper safeguards. Western media also portrays India as a “responsible nuclear state”, whilst framing Pakistan through the narrative of instability and escalation. By applying Robert Entman’s Media Framing Theory, the study suggests that this selective framing strengthens India’s nuclear exceptionalism and influences strategic perceptions in South Asia. This dual narrative is supported by the 2008 NSG waiver and civil nuclear agreements legitimizing India’s exceptionalism. In parallel, it erodes the effectiveness of global non-proliferation norms and increases the imbalance in the South Asian region. It shows how media narratives and biased Western media coverage play an important role in shaping strategic signalling and regional stability. The study finds that regional stability can be strengthened through equitable non-proliferation measures and strategic parity.
This paper was published in International Journal of Social Sciences Bulletin, Vol. 4 No. 6 (2026) and can be read here; https://ijssbulletin.com/index.php/IJSSB/article/view/2530
Shahwana Binte Sohail is is Research Assistant at the Centre for International Strategic Studies Islamabad.
