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International Relations

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Home/International Relations/Page 3

Mains Answer Writing Latest Questions

Anjali Sharma
  • 1
Anjali SharmaBegginer
Asked: July 16, 2024In:
  • 1

China has been gaining ground on India in the region despite its “Neighbourhood First Policy.” Comment.

upsc: india and neighbourhood
  1. Meerab Mehata
    Meerab Mehata Begginer

    Former PM A.B. Vajpayee once famously said ‘You can change your friends but not neighbours’. For India to play a vital role in the emerging multipolar world politics, it is important to develop enduring linkages between its domestic priorities and its foreign policy objectives. India’s policy towardRead more

    Former PM A.B. Vajpayee once famously said ‘You can change your friends but not neighbours’. For India to play a vital role in the emerging multipolar world politics, it is important to develop enduring linkages between its domestic priorities and its foreign policy objectives. India’s policy towards its immediate neighbourhood is based on efforts to build peace and cooperation in South Asia. Its neighbourhood first policy accords primacy to nations in the periphery with a focus on encouraging trade, connectivity and people-to-people contact.

    India’s Neighbourhood First Policy

    1. Immediate priority to neighbours: Priority is to improve the relations with immediate neighbours as peace and tranquillity in South Asia is essential for realizing the development agenda.
    2. Dialogue: It focuses on vigorous regional diplomacy by engaging with neighbouring nations and building political connectivity through dialogue. The first initiative in this direction was extending an invitation to all heads of government of SAARC countries for the oath-taking ceremony of the Prime minister in 2014.
    3. Resolving bilateral issues: The focus is on resolving bilateral issues through mutual agreement. For instance, India and Bangladesh have signed a pact to operationalise the historic Land Boundary Agreement (LBA).
    4. Economic Cooperation: It focuses on enhancing trade ties with neighbours. India has participated and invested in SAARC as a vehicle for development in the region. One such example is the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) grouping for energy development i.e. motor vehicles, waterpower management and inter-grid connectivity.
    5. Technical Cooperation: The policy put emphasis on technical cooperation. Recently a dedicated SAARC satellite was developed to share the fruits of technology like telemedicine, elearning etc. with people across South Asia.
    6. Disaster management: India’s offer cooperation on disaster response, resource management, weather forecasting and communication and also capabilities and expertise in disaster management for all South Asian citizens. For example, India provided immense assistance to its neighbour Nepal in the aftermath of the 2016 earthquake.

    The Growing Influence Of China

    1. Afghanistan: Beijing was a part of the trilateral China-Pakistan-Afghanistan foreign ministers dialogue which focuses on facilitating Afghan domestic political reconciliation, enhancing regional connectivity, and improving regional common development. The trilateral discussions also agreed to push “forward under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” and “to enhance connectivity by extending the CPEC to Afghanistan”.
    2. Bangladesh: China and Bangladesh pledged to deepen defence cooperation, especially in the areas of “defence industry and trade, training, equipment and technology. China is also the largest arms supplier of the Bangladeshi military, providing 71.8% of weapons from 2008 to 2018.
    3. Maldives: China’s relationship with the Maldives is near-exclusively focused on leveraging BRI to develop the Maldives as well as to raise Chinese influence there to counter India.
    4. Nepal: Chinese President went to Nepal in 2019. This was the first visit by a Chinese head of state in 23 years. The countries have signed agreements to accelerate Infrastructure building in Nepal and improve connectivity between them. Both the countries have also announced the launch of a feasibility study of the China-Nepal cross-border railway.
    5. Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka handed over Hambantota port on a 99-year lease to China to repay its loan back to china. Hambantota is geostrategically located on the Indian Ocean, potentially bolstering Beijing’s String of Pearls.

    India Response

    1.India’s response to the challenges has been to assert its Neighbourhood First and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) strategies as foreign policy priorities. 2.India has also upped its game on infrastructure delivery, particularly for regional connectivity in the past year. This includes :

    1. Completing railway lines to Bangladesh and Nepal.
    2. Riverine projects, ferry service to the Maldives.
    3. Identifying other services to Sri Lanka and IOR islands.
    4. Also considering debt waiver requests from its neighbours.

    Way Forward

    1. India does not have the economic capacity as that of China yet. Thus it should cooperate with China (with the exception of CPEC) for the development of these countries such that fruits of development collectively reach South Asia.
    2. Further India should invest in these countries where China falls short and maintain its goodwill in South Asia and prevent these nations from slipping off from India’s Influence.
    3. India should work with its neighbour in strengthening its markets and its own infrastructure to its neighbours.
    4. India must ensure its neighbour continuous support for their development. Efforts must be made to strengthen Indian exports in the region.
    5. Soft power: India’s soft power and common culture provide an opportunity for India to strengthen its cultural roots further in the region.
    6. Improving Regional Connectivity: Regional connectivity must be pursued with greater vigour while security concerns are addressed through cost-effective, efficient and reliable technological measures which are in use in other parts of the world.

    Although there are complex challenges and situations, neighbourhood first policy must be anchored in the sustained engagement at all levels of the political and people to people levels, building upon the deep cultural affinities which are unique to India’s relations with its neighbours. India’s immediate neighbourhood directly impacts it geopolitically, geo-strategically and geo-economically because of its vicinity. Thus, working with them is important for India to rise as a superpower. Emphasis must be on sustainable and inclusive development.

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MAHI DUBEY
  • 1
MAHI DUBEYBegginer
Asked: July 18, 2024In: , , , ,
  • 1

How can community programs be designed to better support education and skill development for underprivileged youth?

educational enviromenteductionindia politicalindia-japan relationssocial emprovement
  1. Mhabeni Ezung
    Mhabeni Ezung Begginer

    Community programs must foster more creativity and innovation among underprivileged youths to help support education and skill development for the underprivileged youth.   All community programs give vocational training, from technical to soft skills, with courses such as hospitality, tourism,Read more

    Community programs must foster more creativity and innovation among underprivileged youths to help support education and skill development for the underprivileged youth.

     

    All community programs give vocational training, from technical to soft skills, with courses such as hospitality, tourism, sewing, pottery, crafts-making, banking, IT, carpentry, and masonry. Yes, community programs give job-oriented skills and life skills are necessary for underprivileged students to foster learning and to prevent them from dropping out. However, for such skill development activities, community programs need more capacity-building for their teachers and proper supervision and monitoring of the activities.

     

    Community programs must also give importance to the facilities and infrastructure of the school. For example:- basic facilities like clean drinking water, electricity and well-ventilated classrooms are crucial. 

     

    To foster an environmentally conscious environment, community programs must focus on sanitation and waste management in the curriculum and innovative practices in mid-day meal schemes like growing food with the community. For instance:- Introducing community gardens. 

     

    Zero tolerance of social discrimination is vital for this group of students. Introducing innovative programs and activities in the curriculum to remove these stigmas is essential.

    Deserving students must receive scholarships and financial aid. 

    There needs to be a dedicated mechanism to supervise all these programs or else there will be no desired outcome and a holistic learning experience for the underprivileged youths.

     

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Hareem Khan
  • 1
Hareem KhanBegginer
Asked: July 19, 2024In:
  • 1

Talk about how important the ASEAN bloc is to India’s Act East strategy and SAGAR project.

upsc: india & neighbourhood
  1. Manju Basain
    Manju Basain Begginer

    The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. Located at the intersection of the Indo-Pacific region, Southeast Asia finds itself at the centre of the emerging great power competitiRead more

    The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. Located at the intersection of the Indo-Pacific region, Southeast Asia finds itself at the centre of the emerging great power competition. In that context, the concept of ASEAN Centrality has emerged, which means:

    • Without ASEAN, it would not be possible to construct wider regional bodies in the Indo- has emerged, which means: Pacific. ASEAN lies at the core of Asia-Pacific regional institutions, especially the ASEAN Plus Three (APT), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asian Summit (EAS).
    • It also implies that Southeast Asia is at the “hub” of Asian regionalist debates and interactions over changing norms and mechanisms for regional cooperation in Asia.

    India’s focus on a strengthened and multi-faceted relationship with ASEAN is an outcome of the significant changes in the world’s political and economic scenario since the early 1990s. At present, India accepts ASEAN centrality in its Act East policy and SAGAR initiative.

    The centrality of ASEAN bloc in India’s Act East Policy can be understood in following terms:

    • The Act East Policy is mainly focused on economic integration and security cooperation in South-East and East Asia, which is not possible without ASEAN’s cooperation.
    • Under Act East, India is trying to develop linkages between its North-Eastern part and South East Asian countries like Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
    • ASEAN-India connectivity could serve as a basis for Indo-Pacific infrastructure cooperation. The India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and its extension to Cambodia, Lao PDR and x Vietnam is pivotal to Act East as well as ASEAN-India relations.
    • The other key area of Act East is maritime engagement in the Indo-Pacific. India would need access to strategically located ports of South-East Asia such as Sabang Port of Indonesia, which is close to Malacca strait and need to establish a Maritime Transportation Agreement with ASEAN in response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

    India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine is linked to maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region to counter China’s 21st Century Maritime Silk Route, which has both commercial and military implications in the form of String of Pearls strategy. It x also embraces the concept of ASEAN centrality:

    • The critical relevance of SAGAR emerges when seen in conjunction with India’s other policies impacting the maritime domain like Act East Policy, SAGARMALA, Project Mausam, India as ‘net security provider’, focus on Blue Economy etc. which symbolise India’s maritime x resurgence.
    • India and ASEAN share a vast maritime space in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN is at the centre of this space, as several ASEAN members namely Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and the Philippines are actively engaged in disputes over the South China Sea.
    • A great convergence and synergy exists between ‘ASEAN outlook for the Indo-Pacific’ and India’s ‘Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative’.

    The Prime Minister in his keynote address at Shangri La dialogue 2018 had stressed on the centrality of ASEAN as a key element of India’s conception of the Indo-Pacific. Thus, a cohesive and responsive ASEAN is essential for India’s Act East policy and SAGAR initiative. However, ASEAN is itself struggling to retain its internal coherence today. There have been serious differences on how to deal with the military coup in Myanmar. The land-based states such as Cambodia and Laos are indebted towards China and want a softer policy. India’s withdrawal from RCEP and its joining with QUAD is being considered as a potential threat to the ASEAN centrality. In that context, India needs to look beyond ASEAN or make its strategies more transparent.

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Kalpna Mehara
  • 1
Kalpna MeharaLearner
Asked: June 8, 2024In:
  • 1

Examine the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) contribution to global justice and peace in a critical manner. Talk about India’s continued exclusion from the ICC as well.(Answer in 150 words)

upsc: important international institutions
  1. Shirley Jeralina S
    Shirley Jeralina S Begginer

    The ICC has a complex role in international peace and justice. It holds perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes accountable, potentially deterring future atrocities. However, critics argue the ICC is biased towards prosecuting African leaders while overlooking powerful natiRead more

    The ICC has a complex role in international peace and justice. It holds perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes accountable, potentially deterring future atrocities. However, critics argue the ICC is biased towards prosecuting African leaders while overlooking powerful nations.
    India’s reasons for staying out of the ICC are multifaceted. One concern is the court’s lack of jurisdiction over powerful countries like those with veto power in the UN Security Council. Additionally, India fears the ICC could be misused for politically motivated prosecutions. These factors, along with a desire to maintain national sovereignty, contribute to India’s continued exclusion.

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Kalpna Mehara
  • 1
Kalpna MeharaLearner
Asked: June 8, 2024In:
  • 1

For UN Peacekeeping to continue serving its intended purpose, adjustments are necessary. Talk about the difficulties the UN Peacekeeping is facing in this situation. Additionally, recommend changes to enhance how it operates. (Answer in 150 words)

upsc: important international institutions
  1. Mansi Gautam
    Mansi Gautam Learner

    Answer: United Nations Peacekeeping is a joint effort between its Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Operational Support. Every peacekeeping mission is authorized by the Security Council and forces are contributed by member states on a voluntary basis. Peacekeeping is one of the moRead more

    Answer: United Nations Peacekeeping is a joint effort between its Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Operational Support. Every peacekeeping mission is authorized by the Security Council and forces are contributed by member states on a voluntary basis. Peacekeeping is one of the most effective tools in the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security owing to its unique strengths such as legitimacy, burden sharing, deployment of troops around the world and integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to enforce various multidimensional mandates. However, the physical and political fragility of conflict situations limit the likelihood of success. Peacekeeping faces several challenges that undermine its ability to deliver on its mandates:

    • Change in nature of armed conflicts: The nature of conflicts has changed over the years, and peacekeeping, which originally emerged to deal with interstate conflicts, began to be applied to intrastate conflicts including civil wars, organized crime and new generation of weapons.
    • Peacekeepers have become targets: Peacekeepers often go where no one else is prepared to go. However, incidents of attack on peacekeepers have become common.
    • Elusive political solutions: With the closure of UNOCI and UNMIL, several missions are deployed in the face of weak political agreement, diminished consent and stalled peace processes with vague exit strategies.
    • Broad and complex mandates: Peacekeeping missions have been given staggering tasks and wide-ranging responsibilities. At the same time, regional partnerships, though critical, are often unable to deliver the necessary political impact.
    • Performance issues: There are challenges related to maintenance of well structured, equipped and trained forces, participation of women in peacekeeping, accountability for perpetrators of sexual exploitation and abuse and other forms of misconduct.
    • Lack of stronger commitment: All the actors in support of peacekeeping efforts, from political to operational spheres, lack stronger commitment which is needed to achieve peacekeeping excellence.

    The accomplishments from past missions have raised the expectations from UN peacekeeping beyond its capacity to deliver. To respond to these challenges, following reforms are needed:

    • Institutionalization: Time has come to move from pursuit of activism of individual member states to collective action by the Council. There is a need for greater and effective cooperation between Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs), the Security Council and the Secretariat.
    • Incentivization: As of July, 2019, women peacekeepers constituted 6 per cent. There is a need to provide special incentives for women peacekeepers and priority deployment of all women- unit pledges.
    • Innovation: Innovation in capacity building of peacekeepers needs to be a priority. This can be done through innovative options such as co-deployment of peacekeepers, enhancing capabilities and capacities through Mobile Training Teams and expansion of online initiatives to develop capacities of future commanders and managers.
    • Future proofing: There is further need of better training of peacekeepers and involvement of experts from various fields in peacekeeping in order to better deal with emerging challenges.

    Peacekeeping has proven to be one of the most effective tools available to the UN to assist host countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. In this regard, the Secretary-General has launched Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) to renew mutual political commitment to peacekeeping operations and called on Member States to join in developing a set of mutually-agreed principles and commitments to create peacekeeping operations fit for the future.

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Kalpna Mehara
  • 1
Kalpna MeharaLearner
Asked: June 8, 2024In:
  • 1

For UN Peacekeeping to continue serving its intended purpose, adjustments are necessary. Talk about the difficulties the UN Peacekeeping is facing in this situation. Additionally, recommend changes to enhance how it operates. (Answer in 150 words)

upsc: important international institutions
  1. Mansi Gautam
    Mansi Gautam Learner

    Answer: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is the largest military alliance on the planet. It was established in 1949 as a bulwark against the Soviet armies after the Second World War. It guarantees the freedom and security of its members through political as well as military means. Born fromRead more

    Answer: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is the largest military alliance on the planet. It was established in 1949 as a bulwark against the Soviet armies after the Second World War. It guarantees the freedom and security of its members through political as well as military means. Born from a desire for collective defence and containment of the USSR, its mandate post Cold War morphed to include nation-building, peace-keeping, military-civil relations and the never-ending fight against terrorism and organised crime, with varying degrees of success. Since then, NATO has been struggling to remain relevant and faces challenges in redefining its role:

    • Failures of NATO: The notion of collective security has receded in the background post USSR era. However, it needs to be re-invigorated. For instance, the 2014 bloodless assimilation of Crimea into Russia and recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia have sent shockwaves, especially amongst Russia’s neighbours.
    • Shift in focus of collective security from within Europe towards east: The old East-West partitions have become a thing of the past and new fault lines dividing the increasingly worried Baltic States and Poland from a resurgent Russia, have emerged.
    • NATO has always been a fractious alliance: The attempts to consider the national wants and needs of all its member states at times seem to be an impossible task. For instance, France left NATO in 1966, only to return, under certain conditions, decades later in 2009.
    • Differences within NATO: Turkey, a vital member of the Alliance, has recently involved itself in conflicts on its doorstep in Syria and as far away as Libya. In these civil wars, NATO members have at times found themselves on opposing sides.
    • Issue of economic burden sharing: Failure to share the costs of NATO operations more equitably pose risks of unravelling of the alliance as the issue of “burden sharing” has been revived.

    Throughout history, military alliances have formed to balance the countervailing power. They have collapsed when the need for a balance disappeared as a result of either power crumbling or changing threat perceptions. However, the collapse of Soviet imperial rule in the late 1980s did not lead to NATO’s demise rather it has evolved, Le.:

    • Maintain strategic balance: Post Cold War, NATO identified the need to “preserve the strategic balance in Europe” and adopted it as one of its fundamental security tasks. Under this, it would provide security to democratizing countries, solidifying their transitions from communism and opening new economic prosperity through greater connections with the European Union.
    • Reconceived as a “cooperative-security” organization: Under this, NATO has two main objectives, Le., to foster dialogue and cooperation with former adversaries in the Warsaw Pact and to “manage” conflicts in areas on the European periphery, such as the Balkans.
    • Pluralistic security community: NATO grew from being a military alliance principally dedicated to protecting its members into institutional expression of the transatlantic community of states and the western values that both defined and united them. Further, the NATO grew into a pluralistic security community where use of force for settling disputes among its members has been ruled out.
    • Redefined its missions: Politically, NATO has sought new missions to retain its relevance from peacekeeping to countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to counter-terrorism etc. While on the military side, it has streamlined and created a more flexible command structure capable of deploying military forces rapidly and over greater distances than was the case during the cold war.

    Thus, post Cold War, the NATO has not only survived but been transformed into a politico-military entity. NATO of today is a confluence of like-minded democratic ideals and of shared values. The world order has changed and it is in this climate that NATO now has to operate. Unlike the Cold War era, with one clearly defined adversary, today there is a need to fight a patchwork of local conflicts while maintaining an ever-growing alliance between countries.

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Kalpna Mehara
  • 1
Kalpna MeharaLearner
Asked: June 8, 2024In:
  • 1

India has so far been able to successfully preserve its favorable bilateral ties with both countries while prioritising its own interests, despite the obvious tensions between the USA and Russia. (Answer in 250 words)

upsc: bilateral relations
  1. Mansi Gautam
    Mansi Gautam Learner

    Answer: Presently, USA-Russia relationship stands apart largely due to differences over issues such as nuclear disarmament, Iran crisis, Ukrainian crisis, Afghan fiasco, geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific and climate negotiation. These differences are promoting strategic apprehension from both the sideRead more

    Answer: Presently, USA-Russia relationship stands apart largely due to differences over issues such as nuclear disarmament, Iran crisis, Ukrainian crisis, Afghan fiasco, geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific and climate negotiation. These differences are promoting strategic apprehension from both the sides and contributing to the ongoing strategic impasse. India has good relations with both Russia and the US and siding with one of these countries could cost India its relationship with the other. However, that has not been the case so far as India seems to have taken a neutral approach and has maintained its relationship with Russia and the US independent of each other by not letting either of them dictate its foreign policy, as witnessed recently: India’s relations with Russia:

    • Despite the growing tensions between the USA and Russia, India hosted the Russian President for the Indo-Russian annual bilateral summit in 2021. Also, India and Russia held their first ever 2+2 Ministerial dialogue, indicating that Russia is as important to India as its QUAD partners.
    • Notwithstanding the possibility of American sanctions through CAATSA, India not only decided to go ahead with the deal for S-400 missile defence systems, but also finalized a fresh deal worth INR 5,000 crores for the manufacture of 7.5 lakh AK 203 Russian assault rifles.
    • Similarly, India abstained from the procedural vote at the UNSC ahead of a meeting to discuss the current tensions around Ukraine and called for a peaceful resolution, keeping in mind the interests of all parties involved.

    India’s relations with USA:

    • In spite of Russia’s staunch disapproval, India has been working closely with the US in the Indo-Pacific through regular engagements within and outside the QUAD. It shows that India can primarily act according to its own interests.
    • The enhanced partnership between Russia and China has raised doubts amongst policymakers in India about Russia’s effectiveness in balancing China. Therefore, India is now fast-tracking manifold its multifaceted cooperation with the US, mainly to balance a belligerent China.
    • India has a robust defence partnership with the US through institutional arrangements such as the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Understanding (LEMOA), Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), Industrial Security Annex (ISA), Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), Defense Technology Trade Initiative (DTTI). Further, India has also accorded the status of a ‘Major Defence Partner’ to the USA.

    Both the USA and Russia as veto-wielding powers in the United Nations support India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council as well as support India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Since a permanent seat in the UNSC and NSG membership are seen as pivotal to India’s aspirations of projecting itself as a major global power, a strategic relationship with the USA and Russia becomes even more paramount. India has successfully maintained ties with its major strategic partners, and is making its own foreign policy decisions irrespective of the stance of Russia or the USA.

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Ameya Srivastava
  • 1
Ameya SrivastavaLearner
Asked: July 13, 2024In:
  • 1

US policy with Pakistan has frequently alternated between pressuring and offering incentives. What are India’s obstacles and points of agreement with Pakistan on US-Pakistan relations?

upsc: bilateral relations
  1. Kartik Sharma
    Kartik Sharma Begginer

    The diplomatic relations between the USA and Pakistan goes back to 1947, the year which gained independence. These relations grew strong on account of cold war politics and USA desperation to have an ally in South Asia to counter Russain Influence. With Russia invading Afghanistan in 1979, PakistanRead more

    The diplomatic relations between the USA and Pakistan goes back to 1947, the year which gained independence. These relations grew strong on account of cold war politics and USA desperation to have an ally in South Asia to counter Russain Influence. With Russia invading Afghanistan in 1979, Pakistan became instrumental for the US, which pumped arms and money via Pakistan to train mujahideen. Ever Since the end of the Cold war, US relations with Pakistan has oscillated between incentivizing and pressurizing it through aid and arms

    Usa Oscillation Regarding Pakistan

    1. The contradictory policy is deeply rooted in the Washington-Islamabad relationship, going back to the earliest decades of Pakistani independence. 2
    2. US aid to Pakistan skyrocketed under Mohammad Ayub Khan, Muhammad Zia al-Haq, and Pervez Musharraf, its three military rulers who suspended the democratic process and placed Pakistan under martial law for extended periods.
    3. This policy of aid saw a downward trend after the end of the cold war. In fact under the Clinton administration, the USA imposed costly economic sanctions on Pakistan for testing its nuclear weapons.
    4. However, the 9/11 attacks on the USA and its subsequent war on terror again made Pakistan important for America. Pakistan allowed NATO access to supply routes through the country and received considerable military and security assistance in return. President George W. Bush named Pakistan a major non-NATO ally in 2004.
    5. Relations again cooled down during the Obama administration as concerns grew about Pakistan’s safe havens for the Taliban and the presence of al-Qaeda in the country.
    6. US-Pakistan relations reached an all-time low under the Trump administration. USPakistan relations for the first two years of the administration was characterized by an almost singular focus on U.S. concerns about Pakistani safe havens for the Haqqani Network.
    7. The administration said it would make economic ties contingent on Pakistan taking action against militant and terrorist groups. Things soured further in January 2018, when Trump accused Pakistan of “lies and deceit” in its relationship with America. The administration cut off $1.3 billion in U.S. security assistance following Trump’s tweet.
    8. However, things again changed when the US realized the centrality of Pakistan in the Afghan Peace process. The seeds for a reset had been sown, Pakistan considers the U.S.- Taliban deal signed in February a product of its help, and Zalmay Khalilzad special envoy of the US to the peace process has publicly acknowledged Pakistan’s help with the process numerous times.

    Challenges And Areas Of Convergence For India

    After the cold war India relations with the US improved considerably, however lack of a definitive stance on part of the US regarding Pakistan has been a constant source of friction between India and the USA.

    Challenges

    1. India is earnestly attempting to isolate Pakistan over its support for terrorist groups operating from its soil. However, this policy will not succeed as long as the US supports India in this regard.
    2. The Trump administration’s volta face with regard to Pakistan is frustrating Indian efforts. For example, on his recent visit to India in 2020 Trump described the USA’s relation with Pakistan as “a very good one”.
    3. Another major challenge for India is Pakistan’s potentially increased role in Afghanistan once the USA leaves. This would leave the U.S. overly dependent on Pakistan to shape Afghan politics in the future. This increased role is coming at the cost of India.
    4. In December 2019, the U.S. decided to resume a military training programme for Pakistan, which has been a central pillar of the U.S.-Pakistan military cooperation for years. President Trump suspended the $2-billion programme in 2018 to force Pakistan to crack down on terrorist groups.
    5. In the most recent example of the U.S.’s soft policy towards Pakistan, Washington and its allies raised no adverse remark on Pakistan in the review meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
    6. Another issue is president Trump offering to mediate between India and Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir. In doing so Trump practically endorsed the Pakistani position that Kashmir is an international issue, as opposed to India’s view that it is a bilateral issue.

    Convergence

    1. The points of convergence included a tough stance on terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The Trump administration turned a blind eye to India striking terrorist training camps inside Pakistan twice in 2016 and 2019.
    2. The USA has joined India in underlining the “urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained, and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks”.
    3. The USA also is lending its support to India, by demanding Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai Attack and Pathankot Attack.
    4. Despite Pakistan’s intentions, the US wants India to be part of the Afghan peace process. Pakistan has been concerned about India’s participation in the intra-Afghan talks at Doha but Delhi went ahead with its presence amid support from the US and the Afghan government.
    5. The freeze in security assistance to Pakistan in 2018, was followed by a reduction in financial aid in 2019. This is in line with India demand that the US cut aid to Pakistan, as New-Delhi believes that this aid money is used to fund terror activities in Kashmir.
    6. Following India’s raising the issue of Pakistan’s misuse of US jet fighters in an aerial raid against India, the US has put in place end-user monitoring of all fighter jets sold to Pakistan to prevent any misuse.

    Pakistan’s utility to the USA, given the pivotal role Pakistan is playing in the Afghan peace process, and it’s good links with the Taliban is undeniable. At the same time, the growing close relations between India and USA has ensured that much of India’s concerns with regard to the US’s Pakistan policy is addressed. Moving forward it is imperative that India must work closely with the US on areas of convergence with regard to Pakistan, especially on terrorism and related issues to ensure that Pakistan takes strict action against terror based on its soil.

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Sonali B
  • 1
Sonali BBegginer
Asked: July 16, 2024In:
  • 1

Consider how the long-standing Indo-Palestinian friendship might be threatened by Israel and India’s growing connections.

upsc: bilateral relations
  1. Jitendra Singh
    Jitendra Singh Begginer

    India, for a very long time, had called for the 2-state solution that supports the establishment of a sovereign independent state of Palestine. India has since long been maintaining that the Israel-Palestine conflict should be resolved through negotiation resulting in a sovereign, independent, viablRead more

    India, for a very long time, had called for the 2-state solution that supports the establishment of a sovereign independent state of Palestine. India has since long been maintaining that the Israel-Palestine conflict should be resolved through negotiation resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital. However, the recent close ties with Israel have India, for a very long time, had called for the 2-state solution that supports the establishment of a sovereign independent state of Palestine. India has since long been maintaining that the Israel-Palestine conflict should be resolved through negotiation resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital. However, the recent close ties with Israel have appeared to have diluted India’s stance on the Palestine issue.

    Strengthening Indo Israel Relations

    1. Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, there has been an upswing in the relations between the two countries in view of the common concerns about religious extremism and global terrorism.
    2. The political ties have become especially cordial under the Modi Government. In 2017, Prime Minister Modi became the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel.
    3. During this visit, the diplomatic relationship was upgraded to a strategic level, and seven agreements/MoUs were signed in the areas of R&D, innovation, water, agriculture, and space. Defence and agriculture have become the two main pillars of bilateral engagement.
    4. In 2018, the Israeli Prime Minister visited India, during which Government to Government (G2G) agreement on cybersecurity, oil and gas cooperation, film cooperation, and air transport were signed, along with five other semi-government agreements.
    5. An increase in the high-level exchanges in recent times has expanded cooperation in areas like trade, agriculture, science and technology and security.

    How Strengthening Of Indo-Israel Ties Affected Indo-Palestine Relations

    1. For two-and-a-half decades from 1992, the India-Israel relationship continued to grow, mostly through defence deals, and in sectors such as agriculture. But India never acknowledged the relationship fully.
    2. It was during NDA-2 that the government under PM Modi decided to take full ownership of the relationship with Israel.
    3. In 2014, India favoured a UN resolution to establish a Commission to investigate a violation of an international humanitarian and human rights law during Operation Protective Edge conducted by Israel in the Gaza strip.
    4. However, the Indian Government did not pass a resolution in the parliament condemning the Israeli action, contrary to the earlier practices.
    5. At the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), India abstained on the resolution that welcomed the report of the same Commission of Inquiry, making it the first time India had refused to vote against Israel at the UN.
    6. Though the Indian government clarified that this does not mean that there is a change in India’s traditional support for the separate state of Palestine, it is evident that India is distancing itself from advocating for the Palestinian cause.
    7. Until 2017, in various statements, with its expression of support for a two-state solution, India had always included a line in support of East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state which was missing in PM Modi’s statement during PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas visit to India in 2017.
    8. In February 2018, Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel but not Ramallah. The signal was that India had “de-hyphenated” the Israel-Palestine relationship, and would deal with each separately.

    India’s Balancing Act With Palestine

    1. Meanwhile, India continues to improve ties with Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and feels vindicated by the decision of some Arab states to improve ties with Israel.
    2. It voted for Palestine to become a full member of UNESCO in 2011, and a year later, cosponsored the UNGA resolution that enabled Palestine to become a “non-member” observer state at the UN without voting rights.
    3. Even as it abstained at UNESCO in December 2017, India voted in favour of a resolution in the UNGA opposing Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
    4. Despite growing Indo-Israel ties, New Delhi remained firmly on the side of the PLO, which was seen as ready for a political solution and had accepted the two-state solution.
    5. In the current context of violence, India in its official statement appears to implicitly hold Israel responsible for triggering the current cycle of violence by locating its beginnings in East Jerusalem rather than from Gaza.

    There has been much debate in recent times about whether India has changed its pro-Arab historical stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. India’s close diplomatic relationship with Israel is vital for India’s national interest. Despite the criticism of India abandoning the Palestinians, at the current juncture, it is necessary to undertake a balancing in the highly unstable West Asia so that there is room for change when the need arises.

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Mohammed Ayman Basheer
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Mohammed Ayman BasheerBegginer
Asked: July 22, 2024In:
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  1. Bhavika Arora
    Bhavika Arora Begginer

    Non-alignment movement (NAM) established in 1955 by five countries India, Yugoslavia, Ghana, Egypt, Indonesia. The first summit held in 1961 in Belgrade. The latest 17th summit was held in 2016 Venezuela. NAM was formed at the time of cold war when the world was divided into two camps of USA and USSRead more

    Non-alignment movement (NAM) established in 1955 by five countries India, Yugoslavia, Ghana, Egypt, Indonesia. The first summit held in 1961 in Belgrade. The latest 17th summit was held in 2016 Venezuela.

    NAM was formed at the time of cold war when the world was divided into two camps of USA and USSR with the aim of:

    • Giving alternative to newly independent African and Asian countries.
    • Promoting economic growth
    • Opposing military alliances
    • Protect and preserve their independence

    The NAM was founded with these aims and objectives but in 1991 the soviet union (USSR) disintegrated and with this the cold war ended and the world was left with one single superpower USA. With the same the relevance of NAM ended because it’s objective was to balance and maintain peace between the two superpowers.

    But even after all these decades India still follows the principles established by NAM by not favoring any one country during the times of war or conflict and maintaining it’s neutrality.

    For example: The current going on war between Russia-Ukraine India’s stance has been neutral in the UN. Showing support for Ukraine and maintaining friendly relations with Russia by buying oil at cheaper prices for national interest.

    Therefore, In geopolitics there no permanent friends or enemies but only permanent interests.

     

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