The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005

(1) This Act may be called the Weapons of Mass Destructionand their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005. (2) It shall come into force on such date 1as the Central Government may, by notification in theOfficial Gazette, appoint.

--Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, the provisionsof this Act shall be in addition to any other relevant Act for the time being in force in relation to anymatter covered under this Act.

(1) It extends to the whole of India including its Exclusive EconomicZone. (2) Every person shall be liable to punishment under this Act for every act or omission contrary to theprovisions thereof, of which he is held guilty in India. (3) Any person who commits an offence beyond India, which is punishable under this Act, shall bedealt with according to the provisions of this Act in the same manner as if such act had been committed inIndia. (4) The provisions of this Act shall also apply to (a) citizens of India outside India; (b) companies or bodies corporate, registered or incorporated in India or having their associates,branches or subsidiaries, outside India; (c) any ship, aircraft or other means of transport registered in India or outside India, wherever itmay be; (d) foreigners while in India; (e) persons in the service of the Government of India, within and beyond India. (5) Notwithstanding the applicability of the provisions of any other Central Act relating to anyactivity provided herein, the provisions of this Act shall apply to export, transfer, re-transfer, transit andtrans-shipment of material, equipment or technology of any description as are identified, designated,categorised or considered necessary by the Central Government, as pertinent or relevant to India as aNuclear Weapon State, or to the national security of India, or to the furtherance of its foreign policy or itsinternational obligations under any bilateral, multilateral or international treaty, Covenant, Convention orarrangement relating to weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery, to which India is a Party.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-- (a) "biological weapons" are/-- (i) microbial or other biological agents, or toxins whatever their origin or method ofproduction, of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective orother peaceful purposes; and (ii) weapons, equipment or delivery systems specially designed to use such agents or toxinsfor hostile purposes or in armed conflict; (b) "brought in transit" means to bring goods from any country into India by land, air, oramphibious means of transportation, where the goods are to be taken out from India on the sameconveyance on which they are brought into India without any landing in India, but does not include aconveyance in innocent passage through Indian territory, Indian territorial waters or Indian airspaceof a foreign conveyance carrying goods. Explanation I. -- A conveyance is a foreign conveyance if it is not registered in India. Explanation II. - A conveyance is in innocent passage if it is not engaged in relevantactivity and passes through or above Indian territorial waters or airspace without stopping oranchoring in India; (c) "chemical weapons" means,-- (i) the toxic chemicals and their precursors, except where intended for (a) industrial, agricultural, research, medical, pharmaceutical or other peaceful purposes; (b) protective purposes, namely those purposes directly related to protection against toxicchemicals and to protection against chemical weapons; (c) military purposes not connected with the use of chemical weapons and not dependenton the use of the toxic properties of chemicals as a method of warfare; or (d) law enforcement including domestic riot control purposes; as long as the types and quantities are consistent with such purposes; (ii) the munitions and devices, specifically designed to cause death or other harm through thetoxic properties of those toxic chemicals specified in sub-clause (i), which would be released as aresult of the employment of such munitions and devices; and (iii) any equipment specifically designed for use directly in connection with the employmentof munitions and devices specified in sub-clause (ii),together or separately; (d) "export" shall have the meaning assigned to this expression in the Foreign Trade(Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 (22 of 1992); (e) "fissile material" and "radioactive material" shall have the meanings assigned to theseexpressions in the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (33 of 1962); (f) "item" means materials, equipment, and technology, of any description, notified under this Actor any other Act related to relevant activity; (g) "non-State actor" is a person or entity not acting under the lawful authority of any country; (h) "nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device" means any nuclear weapon or othernuclear explosive device as may be determined by the Central Government, whose determination inthe matter shall be final; (i) "public domain" means domain that has no restrictions upon dissemination of informationwithin or from it; the existence of any legal rights to intellectual property in that information does notremove such information from being in public domain; (j) "relevant activity" means,-- (i) the development, production, handling, operation, maintenance, storage or disseminationof a nuclear, chemical or biological weapon; or (ii) the development, production, maintenance, storage or dissemination of missiles speciallydesigned for delivering any such weapon; (k) "re-transfer" means transfer of any item notified under this Act from any country or entity towhich it has been exported from India, to yet another country or entity; (l) "technology" means any information (including information embodied in software) other thaninformation in the public domain, that is capable of being used in-- (i) the development, production or use of any goods or software; (ii) the development of, or the carrying out of, an industrial or commercial activity or theprovision of a service of any kind. Explanation. - When technology is described wholly or partly by reference to the uses to which it(or the goods to which it relates) may be put, it shall include services which are provided or used, orwhich are capable of being used, in the development, production or use of such technology or goods; (m) "terrorist" shall have the meaning assigned to this expression in the Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967); (n) "trans-shipment" means to remove goods from the conveyance on which they were broughtinto India and to place the goods on the same or another conveyance for the purpose of taking themout of India, where these acts are carried out on a" through bill of lading", through airway bill orthrough manifest. Explanation. - "through bill of lading", "through airway bill" and "through manifest" meansrespectively a bill of lading, airway bill and manifest, for the consignment of goods from a placeoutside India to a destination which is also outside India without a consignee in India; (o) "unlawful" means without the authority of the Central Government and the expression"unlawfully" shall be construed accordingly; (p) "weapons of mass destruction" means any biological, chemical or nuclear weapons.

(1) The CentralGovernment may identify, designate, categorise or regulate, the export, transfer, re-transfer, transshipment,or transit of any item related to relevant activity in such manner as may be prescribed. (2) The Central Government may, by order published in the Official Gazette, designate or notify anyitem related to relevant activity for the purposes of this Act.