‭International Relations‬

‭Lecture 01: Introduction‬

‭Syllabus‬
‭●‬ ‭India and its neighbourhood relations.‬
‭●‬ ‭Bilateral, regional, and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting‬
‭India’s interests.‬
‭●‬ ‭Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests,‬
‭Indian diaspora.‬
‭●‬ ‭Important International institutions, agencies, and fora – their structure, mandate.‬

‭UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions‬

‭Q- Consider the following countries :‬

‭1 Armenia‬
‭2 Azerbaijan‬
‭3 Croatia‬
‭4 Romania‬
‭5 Uzbekistan‬
‭Which of the above are members of the Organization of Turkic States?‬
‭A) 1, 2 and 4 only‬
‭B) 1 and 3 only‬
‭C) 2 and 5 only‬
‭D) 3, 4 and 5 only‬

‭Q- Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands,‬
‭sometimes mentioned in the news?‬
‭A) It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around South China‬
‭Sea.‬
‭B) China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea.‬
‭C) A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its‬
‭defence capabilities.‬
‭D) Though International Court of Justice declared them as no man's land, some South-East‬

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‭Asian countries claim them.‬
‭Q-‬

‭Country‬ ‭Important reason for being in the news recently‬

‭1.‬ ‭Chad‬ ‭Setting up of permanent military base by China‬

‭2.‬ ‭Guinea‬ ‭Suspension of Constitution and Government by military‬
‭3.‬ ‭Lebanon‬ ‭Severe and prolonged economic depression‬
‭4.‬ ‭Tunisia‬ ‭Suspension of Parliament by President‬

‭How many pairs given above are correctly matched?‬

‭A) Only one pair‬
‭B) Only two pairs‬
‭C) Only three pairs‬
‭D) All four pairs‬

‭Q- Consider the following:‬

‭1. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank‬
‭2. Missile Technology Control Regime‬
‭3. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation‬
‭India is a member of which of the above?‬
‭A) 1 and 2 only‬
‭B) 3 only‬
‭C) 2 and 3 only‬
‭D) 1, 2 and 3‬

‭Q- With reference to the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following‬
‭statements:‬
‭1. The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States.‬
‭2. Inter-governmental organisations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly.‬
‭3. Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN‬
‭headquarters.‬
‭Which of the statements given above are correct?‬
‭A) 1 and 2 only‬
‭B) 2 and 3 only‬
‭C) 1 and 3 only‬

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‭D) 1, 2 and 3‬

‭Q- The term "Levant" often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the‬
‭following regions?‬
‭A) Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores‬
‭B) Region along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco‬
‭C) Region along Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa‬
‭D) The entire coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea‬

‭UPSC Mains Previous Year Questions‬

‭Q- “If the last few decades were of Asia's growth story, the next few are expected to be of‬
‭Africa's." In the light of this statement, examine India's influence in Africa in recent years.‬

‭Q- The USA is facing an existential threat in the form of a China, that is much more‬
‭challenging than the erstwhile Soviet Union. Explain.‬

‭Q- Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO. What importance does it hold for India?‬

‭Q- The newly tri-nation partnership AUKUS is aimed at countering China's ambitions in the‬
‭Indo-Pacific region. Is it going to supersede the existing partnerships in the region? Discuss the‬
‭strength and impact of AUKUS in the present scenario.‬

‭Q- “Sea is an important Component of the Cosmos". Discuss in the light of the above‬
‭statement the role of the IMO (International Maritime Organization) in protecting environment‬
‭and enhancing maritime safety and security.‬

‭Q- “India is an age-old friend of Sri Lanka”. Discuss India's role in the recent crisis in Sri Lanka‬
‭in the light of the preceding statement.‬

‭Q- 'Virus of Conflict is affecting the functioning of the SCO'. In the light of the above‬
‭statement point out the role of India in mitigating the problems.‬

‭Q- Indian diaspora has scaled new heights in the West. Describe its economic and political‬
‭benefits for India.‬

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‭Q- What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss‬
‭with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region.‬

‭Q- 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)' is the transforming itself into a trade bloc from a‬
‭military alliance, in present times - Discuss.‬

‭Q- "The incidence and intensity of poverty are more important in determining poverty based on‬
‭income alone". In this context analyze the latest United Nations Multidimensional Poverty Index‬
‭Report.‬

‭Q- 'Indian diaspora has a decisive role to play in the politics and economy of America and‬
‭European Countries'. Comment with examples.‬
‭Q- Critically examine the role of WHO in providing global health security during the COVID-19‬
‭pandemic.‬

‭Meaning of certain key terms‬

‭●‬ ‭To grasp the concept of international relations, it is important to first understand the‬
‭meanings of its two components: "international" and "relations."‬
‭●‬ ‭International:‬
‭○‬ ‭It refers to relations between nation-states and emphasises the role of‬
‭nation-states in shaping global affairs.‬
‭○‬ ‭India's relations can be analyzed across various dimensions, such as:‬
‭■‬ ‭Immediate Neighbours:‬‭Relations with South Asian countries‬‭(e.g.,‬
‭Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka).‬
‭■‬ ‭Extended Neighbourhood:‬‭Engagement with Central Asia,‬‭West Asia,‬
‭South-East Asia, and beyond.‬
‭■‬ ‭Relations with Important Countries:‬‭Strategic ties‬‭with major global‬
‭powers like the USA, Russia, China etc.‬
‭■‬ ‭Policy Making and Important Institutions:‬‭Role of‬‭global institutions like‬
‭the World Bank, IMF, and WTO in shaping policies.‬
‭●‬ ‭(Focus on institutions and organizations frequently in the news).‬
‭●‬ ‭Relations:‬
‭○‬ ‭Strategic‬

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 ‭■‬ ‭Territorial Conflicts: Ongoing disputes or conflicts over borders or regions.‬
‭■‬ ‭Important Partnerships: Shared vision statements and agreements for‬
‭mutual benefit.‬
‭■‬ ‭Defence partnerships‬
‭■‬ ‭Convergence of strategic vision, and geopolitical alliances.‬
‭○‬ ‭Commerce‬
‭■‬ ‭Bilateral trade agreements and Free Trade Agreements (FTA).‬
‭■‬ ‭Investment: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and economic cooperation.‬
‭■‬ ‭Remittances: Role of the Indian diaspora in economic linkages.‬
‭○‬ ‭Connectivity‬
‭■‬ ‭Important projects such as the Chabahar Port in Iran, and an assessment‬
‭of their strategic significance.‬
‭○‬ ‭China Factor‬
‭■‬ ‭Analysing China’s regional engagements and opportunities for India amid‬
‭China’s growing influence.‬
‭○‬ ‭Culture‬
‭■‬ ‭People-to-people connections through tourism, education, and health‬
‭exchanges.‬
‭■‬ ‭Cultural diplomacy and soft power.‬
‭■‬ ‭Science and Technology: Collaborations in innovation, research, and‬
‭technological advancements.‬
‭●‬ ‭International Relation‬
‭○‬ ‭International Relations is concerned with relations across boundaries of‬
‭nation-states. It involves interactions among sovereign states.‬
‭○‬ ‭It addresses international political economy, global governance, intercultural‬
‭relations, national and ethnic identities, foreign policy analysis, development studies,‬
‭environment, international security, diplomacy, terrorism, media, social movements‬
‭and more.‬
‭○‬ ‭It attempts to explain the interactions of states in the global interstate system,‬
‭and it also attempts to explain the interactions of others whose behaviour‬
‭originates within one country and is targeted toward members of other countries.‬

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 ‭○‬ ‭In short, the study of international relations is an attempt to explain behaviour‬
‭that occurs across the boundaries of states, the broader relationships of which such‬
‭behavior is a part and the institutions (private, state, nongovernmental, and‬
‭intergovernmental) that oversee those interactions.‬
‭●‬ ‭Global vs International‬
‭○‬ ‭The term global emphasizes the interconnectedness and interdependence of various‬
‭parts of the world, highlighting the impact and reach (beyond state) of certain‬
‭aspects on a global scale.‬
‭●‬ ‭Power, Actor and Purpose in International Relations‬
‭○‬ ‭Actors in International Relations:‬
‭■‬ ‭States: The primary actors, exercising sovereignty and representing national‬
‭interests.‬
‭■‬ ‭Multinational Corporations (MNCs): Private entities influencing global‬
‭economics and policy through investments and trade.‬
‭■‬ ‭Non-State Actors: Groups or entities (e.g., NGOs, terrorist organizations)‬
‭that operate independently of state control but significantly impact global‬
‭dynamics.‬
‭○‬ ‭Purpose in International Relations:‬
‭■‬ ‭The primary goal is to safeguard and advance the actors' interests (e.g.,‬
‭security, economic gains, political influence).‬
‭○‬ ‭Power:‬
‭■‬ ‭Power is a key tool used by various actors to achieve their goals in‬
‭international relations.‬
‭■‬ ‭It can take multiple forms: military, economic, political, and soft power‬
‭(e.g., cultural influence).‬

‭Nation vs State vs Nation-state‬

‭●‬ ‭State‬
‭○‬ ‭The concept of state emerged in the 15th and the 16th century.‬
‭○‬ ‭Westphalian model‬‭→ The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 led to the creation of the‬
‭modern state system.‬

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 ‭○‬ ‭Components of State‬
‭■‬ ‭Defined territory‬
‭■‬ ‭Permanent population‬
‭■‬ ‭Effective government‬
‭■‬ ‭Capacity to enter into relations with other states.‬
‭●‬ ‭Nation-state‬
‭○‬ ‭A nation-state is a territorially bounded sovereign polity or state that is ruled in‬
‭the name of a community of citizens who identify themselves as a nation.‬
‭○‬ ‭The legitimacy of a nation-state's rule over a territory and over the population‬
‭inhabiting it stems from the right of a core national group to self-determination.‬
‭○‬ ‭A nation, sometimes used in the sense of a common ethnicity, may include a‬
‭diaspora or refugees who live outside the nation-state; some nations of this sense‬
‭do not have a state where that ethnicity predominates.‬
‭○‬ ‭A nation is a body of people associated with a particular territory, and such a group‬
‭needs to be sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government.‬

‭Terminology‬
‭●‬ ‭Nations:‬
‭○‬ ‭They are tied to a specific territory across space and time, nations are not‬
‭natural. They are human- made; they are imagined.‬
‭○‬ ‭A nation is a cultural identity without statehood. The nation does not govern a‬
‭sovereign territory. This applies to ethnic groups but also religions, multi-ethnic‬
‭language groups, etc. Examples include Jews and Armenians.‬
‭●‬ ‭Nation-State:‬
‭○‬ ‭It is a sovereign state in which the cultural borders of a nation match the‬
‭borders of the state.‬
‭○‬ ‭Examples include Iceland and Japan.‬
‭●‬ ‭Multi-State Nation:‬
‭○‬ ‭Nations are not isolated in one state but rather spread over several states.‬
‭●‬ ‭Nationalism:‬

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 ‭○‬ ‭Loyalty to and identification with one's particular nation, especially to the‬
‭exclusion of others and their separate nations.‬

‭Geopolitics vs Geo-Economics‬
‭●‬ ‭Geopolitics:‬‭Focuses on how geography (human and physical)‬‭influences international‬
‭politics, power, and relations between nations.‬
‭●‬ ‭Geo-Economics:‬‭Examines the economic aspects of international‬‭relations, emphasizing‬
‭trade, resources, investment, and economic power as tools of influence.‬
‭●‬ ‭Example: Indo-Pacific Strategy, China's Belt and Road Initiative‬

‭Hard Power vs Soft power‬

‭●‬ ‭Hard power‬
‭○‬ ‭The ability to influence other countries through coercion, often involving force or‬
‭threats.‬
‭○‬ ‭Itelies on military strength, economic sanctions, or direct coercive measures.‬
‭○‬ ‭Aap apne strength ke bal pr kisi bhi country se wo krwa sakte ho jo aap karwana‬
‭chahte ho by forcing the other country.‬
‭○‬ ‭It is related to military strength.‬
‭●‬ ‭Soft power‬
‭○‬ ‭Cultural affinities or components that make them attractive.‬
‭○‬ ‭They can make other countries do whatever they want based on their‬
‭attractiveness.‬
‭○‬ ‭Example: Bollywood, Yoga, City of Varanasi, cuisine etc is soft power of India.‬

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