NCERT Class 12 Political Science Chapter 11 India’s Foreign Policy

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NCERT Class 12 Political Science Chapter 11 India’s Foreign Policy

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India’s Foreign Policy

Chapter: 11

POLITICAL SCIENCE

PART – II: CHALLENGES OF NATION BUILDING

TEXTBOOK QUESTION ANSWER

Q. 1. Write ‘true’ or ‘false’ against each of these statements:

(a) Non-alignment allowed India to gain assistance both from USA and USSR.

Ans. True.

(b) India’s relations with her neighbours has been strained from the beginning.

Ans. True.

(c) The cold war has affected the relationship between India and Pakistan.

Ans. True.

(d) The treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1971 was the result of India’s closeness to USA.

Ans. False.

(e) India’s foreign policy was based on armament.

Ans. False.

(f) Nehru believed that India must follow its own course in the world affairs and not allow her to be used by any other country either big or small.

Ans. True.

(g) Nehru realise that if a country’s foreign policy has to be effective, it must be based on a national consensus and should not become a divisive element in the body politics.

Ans. True.

(h) After independence, India has chosen the path of non-alignment with either the USA or USSR because of cold war power politics and military alliances.

Ans. True.

Q. 2. Match the following:

Ans. 

Q. 3. Why did Nehru regard conduct of foreign relations as an essential indicator of independence? State any two reasons with examples to support your reading.

Ans. Nehru regarded the conduct of foreign relations as an essential indicator of independence since:

(i) He accepted the policy of non-alignment. The main cause to accept the policy of non-alignment was regional diversity of India and defence of sovereignty and economic development.

(ii) India did not want to make the friendship with one group and to make the adversary of the other group.

The events held in Hungary and Vietnam have the more significance in this context.

Q. 4. “The conduct of foreign affairs is an outcome of a two-way interaction between domestic compulsions and prevailing international climate”. Take one example from India’s external relations in the 1960s to substantiate your answer.

Ans. It is true that the conduct of foreign affairs is an outcome of a two-way interaction between domestic compulsions and prevailing climate. In the beginning decade of 1960, the policy was adopted by India with China is the best example in this reference.

Q. 5. 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 decision-maker. Give reasons to support your position.

Ans. We would like to retain the two aspects of India’s foreign policy as follows:

(i) To keep away from the power politics of groups aligned against one another while in the past led to conflict and war.

(ii) To make a fair assessment of his efforts in the direction of maintenance of world peace.

Q. 6. Write short notes on the following:

(a) India’s Nuclear Policy.

Ans. India’s Nuclear Policy: A crucial development in India’s foreign affairs was the first nuclear explosion in May 1974. When communist China conducted nuclear tests in October 1964, the five nuclear weapon powers, the USA, USSR, UK, France and China (Taiwan then represented China) also the five permanent members of the UN Security Council-tried to impose the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1968 on the rest of the world. India always considered the NPT as discriminatory and had refused to sign it. When India conducted its first nuclear test, it was termed as peaceful explosion. India argued that it was committed to the policy of using nuclear power only for peaceful purpose. Nehru had always put his faith in science and technology for rapidly building a modern India. A significant component of his industrialization plans was the nuclear programme initiated in the late 1940s under the guidance of Homi J. Bhabha. India wanted to generate atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Nehru was against nuclear weapons. So he pleaded with the superpowers for comprehensive nuclear disarmament. However, the nuclear arsenal kept rising.

India’s nuclear doctrine of credible minimum nuclear deterrence professes, “no first use” and reiterates India’s commitment to global, verifiable and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament leading to a nuclear weapons free world. India conducted a series of nuclear tests in May 1998, demonstrating its capacity to use nuclear energy for military purposes. Pakistan soon followed, thereby increasing the vulnerability of the region to a nuclear exchange. The international community was extremely critical of the nuclear tests in the subcontinent and sanctions were imposed on both India and Pakistan which were subsequently waived.

(b) Consensus in foreign policy matters.

Ans. Consensus in foreign policy matters: We find that in the course of the decade of 1962-1972, when India faced three wars, or even later, when different parties came to power from time to time, foreign policy has played only a limited role in party politics. Although there are minor differences among political parties about how to conduct external relations, Indian politics is generally marked by a broad agreement among the parties on national integration, protection of international boundaries, and on questions of national interest.

For example:

1. The Janata Party government that came to power in 1977 announced that it would follow genuine non-alignment. This implied that the pro-Soviet tilt in the foreign policy will be corrected. Since then, all governments (Congress or non-Congress) have taken initiatives for restoring better relations with China and entering into close ties with US. In Indian politics and in popular mind, India’s foreign policy is always very closely linked to two questions. One is India’s stand vis-a-vis Pakistan and the other is Indo-US relations. In the post-1990 period the ruling parties have often been criticised for their pro-US foreign policy.

2. Foreign policy is always dictated by ideas of national interest. In the period after 1990, Russia, though it continues to be an important friend of India, has lost its global prominence. Therefore India’s foreign policy has shifted to a more pro-US strategy. Besides, the contemporary international situation is more influenced by economic interests than by military interests. This has also made an impact on India’s foreign policy choices. At the same time, Indo-Pakistan relations have witnessed many developments during this period. While Kashmir continues to be the main issue between the two countries, there have been many efforts to restore normal relations. This means that cultural exchanges, movement of citizens and economic co-operation would be encouraged by both countries.

Q. 7. India’s foreign policy was built around the principles of peace and cooperation. But India fought three wars within a period of ten years between 1962 and 1972. Would you say that this was a failure of the foreign policy? Or would you say that this was a result of international situation? Give reasons to support your answer.

Ans. India fought three wars in a space often years between 1962 and 1972. This was not a failure of the foreign policy but these wars were result of international situation. The reasons for these wars were as given below:

(i) India had outstanding disputes with China in the Aksai-Chin area and NEFA. In 1962, when the Cuban-Missile Crisis had drawn the attention of the whole world. China found an opportunity to invade India on both the disputed region. This led to war between India and China.

(ii) In 1965, there was war with Pakistan over the question of Kashmir. Pakistan had probably hoped that India had already been defeated by China, it would be easy to defeat India again. Pakistani rulers were also hoping to get support from the local population in Kashmir. This, however, did not happen and India defeated Pakistan.

(iii) The third war in 1971 was involved about the question of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, where people were fighting a freedom struggle against Pakistan rulers. So this was a result of internal conflict of Pakistan and not the failure of India’s foreign policy.

Q. 8. 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.

Ans. No, although activating the independence policy by India. Non-alignments is adopted by itself as well as most countries of Asia invited to join the non-alignments. India had welcomed the internal and external sovereignty of all the countries. India did not make effort to compel for granting its existence. The Bangladesh War of 1971 was started by Pakistan not by India. India has cooperated to Banga (East Pakistan) to make its own existence.

To be changed:

1. India should try to be an atomic nuclear power, if the big countries do not agree to destroy their own nuclear weapons.

2. India should try to form a Union of Indian sub-continent states, just the European nations had formed to EU.

Q. 9. How does political leadership of a nation affect its foreign policy? Explain this with the help of examples from India’s foreign policy.

Ans. Political leadership of a nation deeply affects its foreign policy. The political leadership for 17 years after independence remained in the hands of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Its refulgence can be seen in the foreign policy of India since even today.

Q. 10. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:

“Broadly non-alignment means not tying yourself off with military blocs…..It means trying to view things, as far as possible, not from the military point of view, though that has to come in sometimes, but independently, and trying to maintain friendly relations with all the countries.”

-Jawaharlal Nehru

(a) Why does Nehru want to keep off military blocs?

Ans. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to keep off military blocs because India did not want to alone in any group of world politics.

(b) Do you think that the Indo-Soviet friendship treaty violated the principle of non-alignment? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. Indo-Soviet Union friendship was a simple combination. The relation adversaly affect on the principles of non-alignment. At random India did not hesitate to tell the evils of Russia.

(c) If there were no military blocs, do you think non-alignment would have been unnecessary?

Ans. The statement is baseless because non-alignment is not the consequence of vacationess. It is based on the independence and ideality.