International Relations and India's Foreign Policy
International relations questions cover basic theories, the UN system, and India's doctrine and partnerships; expect treaty names, years and the principles behind India's positions.
Concepts and institutions
- Realism (power and national interest), liberalism (institutions and interdependence), constructivism (ideas and identity).
- United Nations, 1945: Security Council with five permanent members and the veto; General Assembly; ICJ; peacekeeping.
- IMF and World Bank (Bretton Woods, 1944); WTO (1995).
India's foreign policy
- Article 51 directs the State to promote international peace; non-alignment (Bandung 1955, Belgrade 1961); Panchsheel with China, 1954.
- Nuclear doctrine: credible minimum deterrence, no first use; Pokhran-II, 1998; Indo-US civil nuclear deal, 2008.
- Neighbourhood First, Act East, SAGAR; Quad, SCO, BRICS; G20 presidency 2023.
Worked example: India abstains on a UN resolution and commentators call this a shift to realism. Better answer: it reflects non-alignment as independence of judgment; NAM never meant neutrality on every issue, so issue-based positions are consistent with it.
Traps: non-alignment is not neutrality; Article 51 is a Directive Principle and not enforceable; the veto belongs only to the five permanent members; SAARC was founded in 1985 at Dhaka.