Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
3. Russo-Indian relations have been historically stable. But in light of recent developments—including India’s closer ties with the United States and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—India’s ability to deftly balance Moscow with the West may be tested like never before. Critically analyse. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question: Russia’s war on Ukraine has decisively shaped international opinion. Indian foreign policy is also going to be affected in a profound manner. The most important question facing Indian diplomacy is how to navigate India’s great power relations in the future.
Key Demand of the question: To write about the need to have a change in India-Russia dynamic relations due to recent geopolitical developments.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context of ‘all weather’ friendship between India and Russia.
Body:
In the first part, Highlight the strength of the relationship – Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, cold war era friendship, the long history, defence partnership, nuclear power plants etc.
Next, bring out the issues in the relationship by dividing them into geopolitical, geostrategic and at bilateral level – Ukraine Issue, Russia-Pakistan, Russia-China, and USA-India, Changes in Afghanistan and issues emanating from them.
Discuss how should India and Russia navigate the tides moving forward.
Conclusion:
Conclude by commenting on their current nature of evergreen friendship.
