Deepak Dalal PSIR

PSIR Current affairs daily editorial analysis 17th Dec

daily answer writing, PSIR daily current affairs
Deepak Dalal

PSIR Current affairs daily editorial analysis 17th Dec

PSIR daily current 17th December 2025 Topic : India US relations

PYQs linkage:

  • Do you agree with the that the USA is of late willing to treat India as partner rather than merely a camp follower? Give reasons for your answer. 10 (2014) (Area of cooperation)
  • Before the year 2000, the Indo-U.S. relationship has been marked more with estrangement than cordiality. Why? 20 (2015) (Area of conflict or concern)
  • Comment on India’s growing relationship with USA in the background of constrained relations between India and China. 15(2016) (Area of cooperation) third party dimension
  • The natural behaviour of India and the United States is likely to serve each other’s interests. Here, a deliberate strategy of dovetailing their efforts will obviously benefit both. Elaborate. 20 (2017) (Area of cooperation)
  • Discuss the role of India Diaspora in promoting Indo-US relations. 15(2018) (Area of cooperation)
  • Discuss the significance of Indo- US strategic partnerships and its implications for India’s security and national defence. 15(2020) (Area of cooperation)
  • Explain the significance of Basic Exchange and Co-operation Agreement (BECA) for Indo-US strategic relations. 10(2022) (Area of cooperation) specific agreement
  • “India and USA have become such strong strategic partners that they need not become formal allies.” Comment. 15 (2024) (Area of cooperation)

 

 

 

 

Theory application: 

Neoliberal theory, Democratic peace theory (Republican liberalism)

 

 

Concepts and keywords:

  • Defining partnership of the 21st century
  • Strategic optimism
  • Shared democratic values
  • Converging geopolitical interests
  • A mutual ambition to shape the emerging world order
  • Strategic convergence
  • Hyphenation
  • Decoupling India’s rise from the India-Pakistan binary
  • “China-plus-one” strategy
  • Protectionist rhetoric
  • Transactional approach
  • India’s strategic autonomy: a principled assertion of sovereignty
  • Deep strategic alignment

 

Important facts:

  • 2005 landmark Indo- US civil nuclear agreement: an act of strategic trust that rewrote the rules of global diplomacy.

important quotes or statements:

  • “The world will see what two great democracies can do when they trust each other”. Former U.S President Bush.

It reinforces Democratic peace theory. (Republican Liberalism)

  • Amitabh Mattoo in Book ‘Engaged Democracies’ “the real test of partnership is not how it behaves in moments of celebration, but how it endures in times of stress.”

 

 

 

 

Brief analysis and key points from the news or editorial:

Key challenges to the Indo- US relationship:

Context: India- US partnership at risk of being undermined by Volatility, policy incoherence and dimming of strategic convergence.  (what are the developments)

  • Return of outdated “hyphenation”: treating India and Pakistan as equivalent strategic concern
  • S approach towards Pakistan: Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counterterrorism

 

  • Economic Front:
  • Discouraging Apple’s CEO from expanding manufacturing in India. Set back for to India’s “China-plus-one” strategy and projection of India as a manufacturing hub
  • Immigration policy:
  • The H-1B visa regime appears vulnerable to political posturing and protectionist rhetoric

 

·     Why is this drift occurring?

  • The USA’s transactional approach places short-term gain over long term alignment
  • (Trump’s diplomatic style: part showman, part sales man and unpredictable).
  • Viewing Pakistan as a familiar partner, especially in the context of Afghanistan and counter-terrorism
  • India’s strategic autonomy is often misconstrued as fence-sitting rather than a principled assertion of sovereignty.
  • Structural asymmetries in influence and communication persist.
  • Misunderstandings of India’s strategic intentions.
  • (critical view of India by US strategic community)

Ashley Tellis: “India suffers from “great-powers” delusions and that the India U.S. relationship falters because India’s ambitions outstrip its capabilities.”

 

 Suggestions:

  • Having structural logic of partnership remains robust, it requires a reset of tone, clarity and mutual commitment. (not the reset of fundamentals which are already strong)
  • Key points for strong foundation: Defence cooperation, QUAD initiatives, intelligence sharing, and convergent interests from the Indian ocean to the Pacific
  • Quiet, persistent and calibrated diplomacy as a preferred method
  • India should broaden and deepen its engagement beyond traditional diplomacy.
  • Leveraging US congress, policy think tanks and Indian American diaspora Vectors of strategic advocacy.
  • Accelerating internal economic reforms to reinforce the logic of investment, manufacturing, and long-term confidence.
  • Reframing immigration concerns as shared opportunities: projecting H-1B visa: an instrument of mutual innovation
  • Movement of skilled talent, the collaborate ecosystems of tech entrepreneurship, and the potential for co-creating the next generation of frontier technologies should be at the center of the India-U.S talks.

Way forward:

  • USA must recognize that if the Indo-Pacific strategy is to endure it must be matched by concrete investments in India’s regional capacity building initiatives.
  • Both countries must rediscover the moral purpose of their partnership.
  • We should focus on our shared democratic values, converging geopolitical interests, and a mutual ambition to shape the emerging world order.

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