Question 1

Q1: Write 'true' or 'false' against each of these statements. (a) Non-alignment allowed India to gain assistance both from USA and USSR. (b) India's relat...

Accepted Answer

(a) True. The chapter states that by taking an independent stand, India "could get aid and assistance from members of both the blocs." (b) False. While India's relationship with Pakistan was strained from the start due to the Kashmir dispute, the chapter mentions that "free India began its relations...

Question 2

Q2: Match the following (a) The goal of India's foreign policy in the period 1950-1964 (b) Panchsheel (c) Bandung Conference (d) Dalai Lama i. Tibetan spi...

Accepted Answer

(a) The goal of India's foreign policy in the period 1950-1964 — ii. Preservation of territorial integrity, sovereignty and economic development (b) Panchsheel — iii. Five principles of peaceful coexistence (c) Bandung Conference — iv. Led to the establishment of NAM (d) Dalai Lama — i. Tibetan spir...

Question 3

Q3: Why did Nehru regard conduct of foreign relations as an essential indicator of independence? State any two reasons with examples to support your readi...

Accepted Answer

Jawaharlal Nehru regarded the conduct of foreign relations as an essential indicator of independence because he believed it was the ultimate test of a nation's sovereignty. According to a quote in the chapter, Nehru stated, "It consists fundamentally and basically of foreign relations. That is the t...

Question 4

Q4: "The conduct of foreign affairs is an outcome of a two-way interaction between domestic compulsions and prevailing international climate". Take one ex...

Accepted Answer

The 1962 Sino-Indian War is a clear example of the two-way interaction between domestic compulsions and the prevailing international climate shaping foreign affairs.    Prevailing International Climate: The early 1960s were the peak of the Cold War. In October 1962, the world's attention was fixated...

Question 5

Q5: Identify any two aspects of India's foreign policy that you would like to retain and two that you would like to change, if you were to become a decisi...

Accepted Answer

If I were a decision-maker, I would make the following choices based on the principles and events described in the chapter: Two Aspects to Retain: 1.  Strategic Autonomy (Non-Alignment): I would retain the core principle of non-alignment, which in the contemporary world translates to strategic auton...

Question 6

Q6: Write short notes on the following. (a) India's Nuclear policy (b) Consensus in foreign policy matters

Accepted Answer

(a) India's Nuclear Policy India's nuclear policy has been guided by a dual objective: using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes while maintaining the option for a credible minimum deterrent. The nuclear programme was initiated in the late 1940s under Homi J. Bhabha with a focus on atomic energy fo...

Question 7

Q7: India's foreign policy was built around the principles of peace and cooperation. But India fought three wars in a space of ten years between 1962 and...

Accepted Answer

The occurrence of three wars between 1962 and 1971 was not a failure of the intent behind India's foreign policy of peace and cooperation, but rather a consequence of a challenging regional and international situation that forced India to defend its national interests. Here are the reasons to suppor...

Question 8

Q8: Does India's foreign policy reflect her desire to be an important regional power? Argue your case with the Bangladesh war of 1971 as an example.

Accepted Answer

Yes, India's foreign policy, particularly as demonstrated during the Bangladesh War of 1971, clearly reflects its desire and capacity to be an important regional power. The 1971 war was not merely a conflict between India and Pakistan; it was a decisive moment where India projected its influence to...

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