BSEH SS Political Science flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Non-Aligned Movement founding

Formally founded at the Belgrade summit in September 1961, following the 1955 Bandung Conference. Key leaders were Nehru, Nasser, Tito, Sukarno and Nkrumah. Members refused to join either Cold War bloc.

Cuban Missile Crisis

October 1962 confrontation after the USSR placed missiles in Cuba. The US imposed a naval quarantine. Settlement involved Soviet withdrawal, a US no-invasion pledge, and removal of US missiles from Turkey.

Warsaw Pact

Soviet-led military alliance created in 1955 as a counterweight to NATO, binding Eastern European states to Moscow. It was dissolved in 1991 after the collapse of communist regimes.

Panchsheel

Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence agreed by India and China in 1954, covering mutual respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference, equality and peaceful coexistence. It became a hallmark of Indian non-alignment.

Glasnost and perestroika

Gorbachev's reforms from 1985: glasnost meant openness and loosened censorship; perestroika meant economic restructuring. Both weakened party control and contributed to the USSR's dissolution.

Dissolution of the USSR

After the failed August 1991 coup, the Soviet Union was formally dissolved in December 1991, creating fifteen independent republics. Russia was accepted as the legal successor, including the UN Security Council seat.

Shock therapy

Rapid market transition adopted in post-Soviet Russia: price liberalisation, privatisation and subsidy cuts. It produced hyperinflation, output collapse and concentration of state assets among oligarchs.

Commonwealth of Independent States

Body formed in December 1991 by Russia, Ukraine and Belarus as the USSR dissolved. It coordinated some economic and security matters among former Soviet republics; the Baltic states never joined.

Hegemony

Dominance of one state over others through combined military, economic, technological and cultural superiority. The US is often described as hegemonic after 1991, though its power is contested and uneven.

Soft power

Joseph Nye's concept for achieving influence through attraction rather than coercion, using culture, values, education and media. It contrasts with hard power based on military force or economic pressure.

Bretton Woods institutions

The IMF and World Bank, created at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference. They provide balance-of-payments support and development finance, and their weighted voting reflects economic size, especially US influence.

BRICS

Grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, with South Africa joining in 2010. It created the New Development Bank and a contingent reserve arrangement, and has since expanded membership.

European Union

Supranational union established by the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, with a single market, common policies and the euro. It has 27 members after Brexit in 2020 and pools some sovereignty among member states.

ASEAN

Association of Southeast Asian Nations, founded in Bangkok in 1967. It has ten members and works by consensus and non-interference, hosting the ASEAN Regional Forum for security dialogue.

SAARC

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, founded in Dhaka in 1985 with eight members. India–Pakistan tensions have blocked summits, prompting reliance on alternatives such as BIMSTEC.

Indus Waters Treaty

1960 treaty between India and Pakistan dividing the Indus river system: India got eastern rivers, Pakistan the western ones. It survived multiple wars and is mediated by the World Bank.

India's Neighbourhood First policy

Approach prioritising relations with South Asian states through development assistance, connectivity and disaster relief. It competes with China's infrastructure lending in Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

UN Security Council

Body with primary responsibility for international peace and security. It has five permanent members with veto power and ten elected members serving two-year terms. Its resolutions are binding.

UN General Assembly

Main deliberative organ where each member state has one vote. Its resolutions are generally non-binding recommendations, and it approves the budget and appoints the Secretary-General on Security Council recommendation.

UN peacekeeping

Deployment of Blue Helmet forces authorised by the Security Council to monitor ceasefires and protect civilians. India has historically been one of the largest troop-contributing countries.

Human security

UNDP's 1994 framework shifting focus from state borders to individual welfare. Its seven dimensions are economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community and political security.

Common but differentiated responsibilities

Principle in climate agreements that all states share responsibility for the environment but developed states must lead, given their historical emissions and greater capacity.

Paris Agreement

2015 climate accord under the UNFCCC in which states submit nationally determined contributions. It aims to hold warming well below 2°C and pursue efforts toward 1.5°C.

Globalisation

Growing integration of economies and societies through trade, investment, technology and migration. Supporters cite growth and innovation; critics cite inequality, job loss and cultural homogenisation.

Radcliffe Line

Boundary drawn in 1947 by Cyril Radcliffe dividing Punjab and Bengal between India and Pakistan. It triggered mass migration and communal violence, killing hundreds of thousands and displacing millions.

Integration of princely states

Process by which roughly 565 princely states acceded to India in 1947–48, negotiated by Sardar Patel and V.P. Menon. Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir required force or special arrangements.

States Reorganisation Act 1956

Law redrawing state boundaries largely along linguistic lines after the 1953 creation of Andhra following Potti Sriramulu's death. It created fourteen states and six union territories.

Congress system

Term for Congress dominance from 1952 to 1977, when it won repeated Lok Sabha majorities. Its strength lay in a broad social coalition, organisational reach and internal factional bargaining.

Anti-defection law

Introduced by the 52nd Amendment in 1985, adding the Tenth Schedule. It disqualifies legislators who voluntarily leave their party or defy a party whip, aiming to curb floor-crossing in coalition politics.

Mahalanobis model

Framework behind India's Second Five-Year Plan (1956–61), prioritising heavy industry and capital goods. It relied on public-sector investment and shaped the Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956.

Green Revolution

Strategy from the mid-1960s using high-yielding seeds, fertilisers, irrigation and credit to raise food output. It made India self-sufficient in grains but concentrated gains in Punjab, Haryana and western UP.

The Emergency 1975–77

Period of authoritarian rule declared on 25 June 1975 under Article 352, with press censorship and mass arrests. It ended in March 1977, and the 44th Amendment later reversed key provisions.

Mandal Commission

Commission chaired by B.P. Mandal that recommended 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes in public employment. Implemented in 1990 and upheld in 1992, with the creamy layer excluded.