News Excerpt:
On 2 November, Russia revoked its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

About the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT):
Aim: It is a global treaty that seeks to ban all nuclear explosions, both military and for peaceful purposes. The United Nations General Assembly adopted it on 10 September 1996. All the nations have not ratified it.

Evolution:

• It occurred during the Cold War when the two superpowers, i.e. the United States and the Soviet Union, were embroiled in a decades-long arms race.
• Between 1945 and 1996, 2000 nuclear tests were conducted, of which 1032 were by the United States and 715 by the Soviet Union
• The nuclear tests garnered worldwide criticism: Civil Society Groups and environment activists protested against the ill effects on the environment, health, and humans.
• 1963: In response to environmental and health concerns, the international community launched the Limited Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (LTBT). It prohibited nuclear testing in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater. Although, under LTBT, underground tests could be conducted.
• 1968: Nuclear proliferation Treaty was negotiated to tackle the limitations of LTBT, but no concrete agreement was reached.
• 1974: The Threshold Test Ban Treaty was signed by the United States and the Soviet Union, banning the two countries from conducting nuclear tests after reaching a certain “Nuclear Threshold. 
• 1996: After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the United Nations adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty on 10 September 1996.

Ratification: 187 Countries have signed the treaty, and 178 have ratified it.

Legal Enforcement: Not legally enforced yet. It can be enforced only when it is signed and enforced by the 44 countries that possess nuclear technology.

Countries that have not signed the treaty: North Korea, India and Pakistan, Bhutan, Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Tonga

Countries that have signed but not yet ratified: A total of 11 countries have signed but not ratified:

• Five of the 44 countries that possess nuclear technology – China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, and the U.S. have signed but are yet to ratify the treaty.
• Other countries that have not ratified it are Nepal, Solomon Island, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Papua New Guinea, and Eswatini
• The CTBT establishes a comprehensive verification regime to monitor and detect nuclear test explosions. It has three main components - 
• International Monitoring System (IMS), which has more than 300 global facilities and can detect seismic (shockwaves through the ground), hydroacoustic (sound waves in oceans), infrasound (ultra-low-frequency sound waves inaudible to the human ear), and radionuclide (radioactive particles and gasses from a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere) signals.
• International Data Centre, which receives data from the IMS network and shares it with member states.
• On-site inspections will be possible once the treaty is enforced.

Implications of Russia’s status revocation:

•  It may be a ground for other nations to follow the same suit.
•  The world may see a renewed nuclear arms race.
• The threat of nuclear escalation or “Nuclear Blackmail”  in Ukraine by Russia.