UGC NET Political Science India’s Foreign Policy Syllabus

India’s Foreign Policy syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for India’s Foreign Policy in UGC NET Political Science, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Perspectives on India’s Foreign Policy

   1 topic

   • India’s Identity as postcolonial, development, rising power and as emerging political economy
2. 2

   Continuity and change in India’s Foreign Policy

   3 topics

   • Principles and determinants
   • Non-Alignment movement
     • Historical background
     • Relevance of Non Aligned Movement
   • India’s Nuclear Policy
3. 3

   India’s relations with major powers

   3 topics

   • USA
   • USSR/Russia
   • People’s Republic of China
4. 4

   India’s Engagement with multipolar world

   7 topics

   • India’s relations with European Union
   • BRICS
   • ASEAN
   • Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
   • African Union
   • Southern African Development Community
   • Gulf Cooperation Council
5. 5

   India’s relations with neighbourhood

   4 topics

   • SAARC
   • Gujaral doctrine
   • Look East/Act East
   • Look West
6. 6

   India’s Negotiation Strategies in International Regimes

   4 topics

   • The United Nations
   • World Trade Organisation
   • International Monetary Fund
   • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
7. 7

   Contemporary challenges

   7 topics

   • Maritime security
   • Energy security
   • Environmental security
   • Migrants and refugees
   • Water resources
   • International terrorism
   • Cyber security

India’s Foreign Policy flashcards for UGC NET Political Science

20 of 51 cards from the India’s Foreign Policy deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What four overlapping identities does India project in its foreign policy as theorized in contemporary IR scholarship?

   India as (1) a postcolonial state, (2) a developing/development-focused state, (3) a rising/emerging power, and (4) an emerging political economy seeking global economic integration.

2. How does India's 'postcolonial' identity shape its foreign policy outlook?

   It makes India emphasize sovereignty, anti-imperialism, anti-colonialism, racial equality, strategic autonomy, and solidarity with the Global South/Third World.

3. Name the core guiding principles of India's foreign policy.

   Panchsheel (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence), non-alignment/strategic autonomy, anti-colonialism and anti-racism, peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereign equality, and support for the UN and a just world order.

4. What are the Five Principles of Panchsheel (1954)?

   (1) Mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, (2) mutual non-aggression, (3) mutual non-interference in internal affairs, (4) equality and mutual benefit, and (5) peaceful coexistence.

5. In which 1954 agreement were the Panchsheel principles first formally enunciated?

   The Agreement on Trade and Intercourse between the Tibet Region of China and India (the India-China Tibet Agreement), signed in Beijing in April 1954.

6. List the main determinants of India's foreign policy.

   Geography/geopolitics, history and colonial legacy, economic capabilities and needs, military/strategic capability, domestic political structure and public opinion, national values/ideology, leadership, and the international/regional environment.

7. What is the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and when was it founded?

   A grouping of states refusing to formally align with either the US-led or USSR-led bloc during the Cold War; formally founded at the First Summit in Belgrade in 1961.

8. Who were the principal founders of the Non-Aligned Movement?

   Jawaharlal Nehru (India), Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt), Josip Broz Tito (Yugoslavia), Sukarno (Indonesia), and Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana).

9. Which 1955 conference is regarded as the precursor to the Non-Aligned Movement?

   The Bandung Conference (Asian-African Conference) held in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955, which adopted the 'Ten Principles of Bandung'.

10. Does non-alignment mean neutrality or isolationism for India?

    No. Non-alignment is an active, independent judgement of each issue on its merits and the pursuit of strategic autonomy, not passive neutrality or isolation from world affairs.

11. What is India's declared nuclear doctrine posture on first use?

    India maintains a 'No First Use' (NFU) policy, pledging to use nuclear weapons only in retaliation against a nuclear attack, coupled with 'Credible Minimum Deterrence'.

12. Name India's two nuclear test events and their code names.

    Pokhran-I in 1974 ('Smiling Buddha', termed a 'peaceful nuclear explosion') and Pokhran-II in 1998 ('Operation Shakti'), after which India declared itself a nuclear weapons state.

13. Why has India refused to sign the NPT and CTBT?

    India regards the NPT as discriminatory ('nuclear apartheid' dividing nuclear haves and have-nots) and rejects the CTBT as failing to commit to time-bound universal disarmament; it insists on its right to credible deterrence.

14. What was the significance of the 2008 India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement (123 Agreement)?

    It ended India's nuclear isolation by allowing civil nuclear cooperation despite India being a non-NPT state, backed by an NSG waiver, separating civil and military facilities under IAEA safeguards.

15. What was the Cold War cornerstone of India-USSR relations?

    The 1971 Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation (Indo-Soviet Treaty), providing diplomatic, military, and economic support, notably during the 1971 Bangladesh war.

16. How would you characterize the current India-Russia strategic relationship?

    A 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' (upgraded 2010), strong in defence procurement (e.g., S-400), energy, and nuclear cooperation (Kudankulam), with an annual summit mechanism.

17. What is the present overarching framework of India-US relations?

    A 'Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership', spanning defence (Major Defence Partner status, foundational agreements LEMOA, COMCASA, BECA), trade, technology (iCET), and Indo-Pacific cooperation via the Quad.

18. Name the four 'foundational' defence agreements signed between India and the USA.

    GSOMIA (2002), LEMOA (2016 - logistics exchange), COMCASA (2018 - communications), and BECA (2020 - geospatial cooperation).

19. What 1962 event fundamentally shaped India-China relations?

    The 1962 Sino-Indian War over the disputed Himalayan boundary, which India lost, ending the 'Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai' era and leaving a lasting border dispute.

20. What is the line that demarcates the disputed India-China boundary called?

    The Line of Actual Control (LAC), an undemarcated de facto border across sectors including Aksai Chin (western) and Arunachal Pradesh (eastern).

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