In a perilous world, India must read the tea leaves well M K Narayanan

• PYQs linkage:
• Explain the defence and foreign policy options of India to address the challenges emerging out of the current India-China standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). 20(2020)
• Examine the Geo-strategic points of contention in the bilateral relationship between India and China. 15(2021)
• Does the idea of the 21^st century as ‘Asian century’ continue to remain a feasible given the growing friction between India and China? 15(2024)
• Do you agree with the view that the India foreign policy is increasingly being shaped by the Neoliberal outlook? Elaborate. 10(2018)
• Would you concur with the view that of late, India’s foreign policy has been in a transition mode from Nehruvianism to Neo Liberalism? Support your answer with the help of suitable examples. 20(2024)

• Theory application:

  Realist theory of international relations (Hyper realist approach to international relations in Indian strategic culture)

• Concepts and keywords:

• Neutrality, criticality of hard power as against the soft power, leadership of global south, free and open Indo Pacific, unilateral attempt to change the status-quo in Soth CHINA Sea, calls for hegemony, strategic thinking, strategic objectives.

• Important facts:

  China’s recently published white paper on “National Security in the ‘New Era’”. This is a clear enunciation of Chinese strategic thinking today and mentions that ‘development and security are like two wings of one body’.

• important quotes or statements:

• “India’s tilt towards Israel in recent times, it would appear, has become something of an albatross around India’s neck; its policy of maintaining an equidistance between Israel and Iran has proved to be of little use in so far as extolling the virtues of non-alignment are concerned.”
• At the Shangri-La Dialogue 2025, the emphasis seemed to be on the criticality of ‘hard power’ as against the ‘soft power’, with dialogue taking back seat. (This clearly shows prominence given to the realist thought (Hard power) and sidelining of neo liberal conception of ‘soft power’.)

• Brief analysis and key points from the news or editorial:

• Recent challenges to Indian foreign policy:

1. Recent India-Pakistan conflict
2. China-Pakistan Nexus
3. Israel- Iran conflict
4. Trump’s MAGA policies are adversely impacting India at all levels

• India’s approach to address these challenges:

1. Adopted a stance of equidistance or neutrality in Isarel-Iran conflict
2. Professing leadership of global south and patronaging of West Asian countries.

• Shortcoming in India’s approach:

1. India’s professes leadership of the Global South and its patronage of nations across West Asia did not bring any dividends during the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
2. ‘Neutrality’ is out of sync with reality as also the situation on the ground.
3. India’s current policies are not bearing fruits.

• Way forward:

1. To prepare for future eventualities of every kind (even a nuclear confrontation)
2. A detailed study of the growing China-Pakistan military connection including enmeshment of Chinese’s military capabilities with those of Pakistan
3. Critical self-assessment of capacity for engaging in conflicts of longer duration.
4. Refining its policy on critical fronts such as artificial intelligence, electro-magnetic manoeuvres to neutralise drones, loitering munitions and glide bombs (all the prescriptions related to Realist assumptions of international relations)

• Practice question (framed on the basis of PYQs dimensions):

Question 1: Enumerate various challenges faced by India in contemporary world politics. To what extent its strategy to deal with these challenges in effective. 15 Marks.

Find model answer at www.deepanalysis.in