GS Paper 2
Syllabus: International relations
Source: Indian Express
Direction: C Raja Mohan’s articles are always intuitive. Read it once. No need to make a note.
Context: PM outlined a new ambition to make India a developed country, “Viksit Bharat”, by 2047.
India must address its foreign policy challenges in becoming “Viksit”:
- Overcome colonial legacy: It undermines India’s geopolitical position e.g., the legacy of partition.
- Prioritize deterring the dangers from across the Western frontier until Pakistan is ready for a productive relationship with India.
- Resolve the problems left over by Partition on India’s North-western frontier
- Addressing connectivity challenge: Strengthening regional and trans-regional institutions in South Asia and beyond e.g., BIMSTEC, BRICS, SCO, QUAD
- Emphasize connectivity, trade ties, and security partnerships with its neighbours.
- Address the China challenge: growing gap with China in terms of defence, trade, and clout.
- China has been asserting itself across Asia to make a “unipolar Asia”.
- Build stronger partnerships with other major powers: Partnerships should be based on negotiated mutually beneficial terms and India should always exercise its strategic autonomy.
- Take global leadership: India must take global leadership in managing the enormous consequences of the unfolding technological revolution, stabilizing the economic order, and addressing the challenges of climate change and pandemics.
- Pursue multilateralism: India has to continue its pursuit of multilateralism, at the UN, G-20, and WTO. India should make coalitions of like-minded nations.
- Engage with Africa, Latin America, and Oceania where India’s footprint remains light, despite some recent initiatives.
- Domestic changes needed: Promoting social justice, internal unity, economic modernization, resilient political institutions, and deep bases of science and technology.
Insta Links
Reframing India’s Foreign Policy priorities
Mains links
Q. India needs an integrated foreign policy that can respond to the imperatives of building domestic capabilities, developing geo-economic partnerships, and constructing geopolitical coalitions with like-minded countries. Examine. (250 Words)
