Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
2. With respect to Indian foreign policy, Do you think it’s time for India to strengthen its national security structures and introduce flexibility? Examine.(250 words)
Reference: The Hindu
Why this question:
The author discusses the changing dimensions of foreign policy amidst changing equations in the world.
Key demand of the question:
Explain the need to revisit Indian foreign policy and strengthen its national security structures and introduce flexibility.
Directive:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Present briefly the context of the question.
Body:
To start with explain the fact that we are living in a time when there is a deep sense of strategic confusion. In India’s case, that confusion extends to it being not just about the ultimate goal India’s foreign policy should pursue but also over the best means to achieve them. Explain that it has a moment of double opportunity if it changes its ways. Tactically, China-U.S. contention — which is structural and, therefore, likely to continue for some time with a paradigm shift away from cooperation to increasing contention.
Conclusion:
Conclude with need to revisit Indian foreign policy and strengthen its national security structures and introduce flexibility.
