Foreign Policy

Finlandization : Explained – UPSC GS2

Context: Finlandization is in news in context of Ukraine-Russia conflict. What is Finlandization? It refers to the policy of strict neutrality towards Moscow (Russia) and the West that Finland followed during the decades of the Cold War. The principle of neutrality was rooted in the Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance (or YYA Treaty) that Finland signed with the USSR in …

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India’s Human Rights record – UPSC GS2

India’s adverse Human Rights record: The U.S. State Department’s Country Report on Human Rights Practices recorded “significant human rights issues” in India. It includes extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, violence against minorities, unjustified harassment of journalists, and censorship and blocking of websites. India is rated poorly by the U.S.-based Freedom House which called it ‘partly free’. Sweden’s …

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India’s Foreign Policy in 2021 – UPSC GS2

India’s foreign policy in 2021: Relations with the US and its allies: India took active engagements with the U.S. and went beyond familiarisation with the new government to increased commitment to Quad and acceptance of AUKUS and formation of the ‘western Quad’, with the U.S., Israel and the UAE. Relations with Russia: Major agreements were signed with Russia, despite the …

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Scope of Digital Diplomacy for India – UPSC GS2

Context: India is pioneering the concept of digital public goods. This provides India an opportunity to take its made-in-India digital public goods to hundreds of emerging economies across the world. Examples of India’s Digital Goods: Children have access to QR-coded textbooks across state boards and languages Economically disadvantaged have access to the public distribution system Beneficiaries of …

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India’s Geopolitical Vs Geoeconomics interests – UPSC GS2

Summary: In COP26, by offering to do more than what was expected out of it, India disarmed its critics from the Western countries while voicing the concerns of the South. India should do the same in protecting its geo-economics interests without sacrificing its geopolitical interests. Why India is standing alone at WTO? Criticism on India’s …

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Need to use International Laws more effectively – UPSC GS2

Summary: India is not using International Laws to further its interests. Need is to promote International Law in Foreign policy. What are the examples of non-usage of international laws in India? After Pulwama attack of February 2019 by a Pakistan-based terror outfit, India struck the terror camps in Pakistan. However, in its justification for this action, India did not invoke …

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Achievement of India’s foreign policy – UPSC GS2

Achievement of India’s foreign policy: Nuclear diplomacy: The NDA made India nuclear in 1998, initiated strategic discussions to resolve nuclear differences, leading eventually to the India-US nuclear deal under the UPA. Gulf diplomacy: Openings towards the conservative Gulf states created by the UPA have been remarkably broadened. Integrating West with the East: The India-US Malabar exercises resumed …

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COVID Impact on Foreign Policy – UPSC GS2

What are the likely impacts of COVID on India’s foreign policy? Impact on Regional Supremacy: India’s Supremacy at the regional level (in South Asia) will decline in the future. India’s traditional primacy in the region was built on a mix of material aid, political influence, and historical ties. The Pandemic has reduced India’s ability to …

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