India's Foreign Policy in a Globalizing World

About the Course:India’s foreign policy, since its independence, has focused on idealistic principles such as peaceful coexistence, independence of decision-making, promoting world order based on equality, rendering support to the UN, advocating the peaceful settlement of disputes, and extending bilateral and multilateral cooperation at regional and global levels. India aims to promote and protect its national interest, maintain sovereignty, protect its diaspora, promote international peace and arms reduction, achieve economic and national development, and oppose discrimination and colonialism.The Cold War politics influenced India’s foreign policy choices and defined its political, economic, and security relations with other states. However, India’s nuclear tests in 1998 and its steady economic performance have changed not only its perception of itself but the world’s perception of India. On the one hand, India is reorienting its policy towards its neighbours, and on the other hand, it is transcending its role/presence from its region to the rest of the world. The world recognises India as one of the rising powers. India is seen as not only a rule-taker but also a rule-maker and a rule-shaper. India is seen as a responsible country and reliable partner.Course Objectives:The course provides an outline of India’s foreign policy. The objective of the course is to understand the basic ideas, principles, goals, internal and external factors, challenges, and opportunities that determine India’s foreign policy. This course explains how India’s foreign policy plays a significant role in the globalized world. In the course, we discuss how the Cold War politics influenced India’s foreign policy choices, which defined its political, economic, and security relations with other states. We examine India's challenges and opportunities while pursuing its relations with major powers such as the US, Russia, and China in the post-Cold War period. Further, the course focuses on India’s bilateral relations with neighbouring countries and its role in SAARC and inter-regional groupings such as BBIN, BIMSTEC, and BCIM. The course also analyses India’s regional and international roles in UN, NAM, ASEAN, IBSA, BRICS, SCO, IORA, Quad, and G 20. The Course also examines India’s role in global issues such as the world trade regime, climate change, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, intellectual property rights, global governance, etc. It also analyses India’s role at the international level.