Maharashtra Board Class 12 Political Science Chapter 6 India and the World PDF Download

India And The World

The evolution of Indian foreign policy can be traced back to the period before independence. It was an actor in international relations even as a British colony. It participated in the Bretton Woods Conference that created the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It also was a part of the San Francisco Conferences that gave final shape to the Charter of the United Nations. Post-independence Indian foreign policy was a continuation of the legacy of the British policy in some cases; whereas in some others, it took positions which were completely different from the British.

We begin this chapter with understanding the Objectives and Principles, as well as the factors that influence the foreign policy of India.

Objectives Of Indian Foreign Policy

An important objective of Indian foreign policy is to maintain international peace and security. It has been incorporated as a Directive Principle of State Policy in Part IV Article 51 of the Constitution of India which states that the governments of India shall strive for the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security. Further, since independence, India aspired to emerge as a major power and play an influential role in international politics.

The objectives of Indian foreign policy include protection of the sovereignty and integrity of the country, promoting economic growth and development, and ensuring national security in a broader sense. Since the 1990s, India has adopted the policy of greater integration with the world economy in order to sustain a high growth rate. As a result, good relations with neighbouring countries, having strong relations with regional groups (such as ASEAN or EU), ensuring peace and order in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific regions are also some important objectives of contemporary foreign policy of India.

Principles Of Indian Foreign Policy

These are some fundamental ideas that act as guidelines to foreign policy-makers in India. They are listed below:

Sovereign Equality of states.

Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

Non-intervention in the internal affairs of any other state.

Respect for International Law.

Active participation in International and Regional Organisations.

Belief in peaceful co-existence and peaceful resolution of international disputes.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's speech of 7 September 1946, given on the All India Radio spelt out the core features of India's foreign policy. He stated: 'We propose, as far as possible, to keep away from the power politics of groups, aligned against one another, which have led in the past to world wars and which may again lead to disasters on an even wider scale'. He also hoped to have friendly relations with England and greeted the United States and the Soviet Union. He hoped that the past friendship with China would continue in the future. About India's position in Asia he said: 'We are of Asia and the peoples of Asia are nearer and closer to us than others. India is so situated that she is the pivot of Western, Southern and South East Asia'.

Teacher's Note

India's foreign policy is like a student who wants to be friends with everyone without picking sides. Just like in your school, India does not join groups that fight with each other.

Exam Trick

Remember: Five main principles of Indian foreign policy - Sovereign equality, Respect, Non-intervention, International Law, and Active participation. Use the first letter: S-R-N-I-A.

Points to Remember

India became independent in 1947 and made its own foreign policy.

India wants to keep peace with all countries in the world.

India does not support war between other countries.

India respects all countries and their borders.

India wants to be a strong and important country in the world.

Non-Alignment

Nonalignment has been an important aspect of India's foreign policy. Non-alignment literally means not to be a part of any military alliance. It was India's response to the Cold War politics of the two super powers. The United States and the Soviet Union attempted to extend their respective 'sphere of influence' through promoting military alliances in Europe, Asia and elsewhere in the world.

The First Summit Meeting of the Nonaligned countries at Belgrade (1961) finalised the criterion for nonalignment.

Factors Influencing Indian Foreign Policy

Geography: Its vast coastline in the South and the presence of Himalayan mountain ranges to the north and the northeast have shaped India's attitude towards foreign and security policy. Similarly, the presence of a large country like China across almost the entire north and north-eastern border also affects India's foreign policy. The unique geography of South Asia - while all neighbouring countries share a border with India, none share a border with each other - shapes the foreign policy too. India holds a dominant position in the Indian Ocean. It has an extensive coast line with Lakshdweep Islands in the west and Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the East.

History: This includes the impact of India's traditional cultural values, such as peace and co-existence. It also includes the influence of historical cultural ties with the neighbouring civilisations in West, Central and Southeast Asia on India's foreign policy. Some of the basic values of Indian foreign policy like anticolonialism and anti-racialism were laid during the freedom struggle.

Unlike many countries in the world that chose to align with an alliance by one of the two super powers; India chose to remain "non-aligned". It followed a policy of maintaining 'equidistance' from both the super powers. The idea and policy of Non-Alignment is the contribution of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. After the end of the cold war questions were raised about the relevance of nonalignment. It must be noted that the essential features of nonalignment, independent foreign policy and peace approach are still relevant today.

Some of the important military alliances during the cold war.

American Military Alliances:

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 1949 (NATO).

ANZUS in 1951 (US, Australia, New Zealand).

South East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) in 1954.

Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) in 1955.

Soviet Military Alliances:

The Soviet Union and China signed a military alliance in 1950.

Warsaw Pact in 1955.

Teacher's Note

Non-alignment means India did not join America or Russia's group during the Cold War. It is like being friends with both your neighbors without taking anyone's side in their fight.

Exam Trick

Remember: Non-Alignment = Not aligning with any military group. Think of it as sitting in the middle of two fighting friends and staying neutral.

Points to Remember

Non-alignment means India did not join any military group during the Cold War.

India wanted to stay independent in its decisions.

Jawaharlal Nehru created this policy for India.

India kept equal distance from America and Russia.

Non-alignment is still important for India today.

Economy: The policy of Non-Alignment has a political, economic and strategic context. There was a strong urge to come out of poverty and backwardness that had emerged from the colonial period. India also refused to accept financial aid from various donor countries, if it came with conditions unacceptable to India. The policy of import-substitution and giving importance to public sector enterprises had a tremendous impact on India's foreign policy. Many fundamental changes have occurred in foreign policy of India after adopting the policy of Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation in the post 1991 era.

Polity: The Executive organ of Government plays an important role in making and implementing the foreign policy in India. Parliament plays the role of watchdog. Political leadership makes significant impact on foreign relations of India. Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi played a decisive role in determining the foreign policy of India. The Ministry of External Affairs plays a pivotal role in drafting the foreign policy and giving advice to the political executive. Besides this, the National Security Advisor plays an important role in making foreign policy.

International System: During the Cold War, the bipolar system and super power politics had impacted the foreign policy of India. Similarly, there were major changes in Indian foreign policy when the Cold War ended. Besides the international system, the regional system has also made a deep impact on India's foreign policy. Thus, Indo-US dialogue in the post-cold war era, China-Pakistan dialogue since the 1960s and improved Russia-China relations since the late 1990s have influenced foreign policy.

Teacher's Note

Many things affect India's foreign policy - where India is, its history, money, government, and what other countries do. It is like how your friends affect what you do at school.

Exam Trick

Remember: Five factors - Geography, History, Economy, Polity, International System. Think G-H-E-P-I to remember all five factors that shape India's foreign policy.

Points to Remember

India's coastline and mountains shape its foreign policy.

India's history and culture affect how it deals with other countries.

Money and business affect India's choices with other nations.

India's government leaders decide the foreign policy.

What other big countries do changes India's foreign policy.

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