In This Post we are providing CHAPTER 13 INDIA’S EXTERNAL RELATIONS NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 POLITICAL SCIENCE PART-B POLITICS IN INDIA SINCE INDEPENDENCE which will be beneficial for students. These solutions are updated according to 2021-22 syllabus. These MCQS can be really helpful in the preparation of Board exams and will provide you with a brief knowledge of the chapter.
NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON INDIA’S EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Question 1.
Describe any four basic postulates of India’s foreign policy.
Answer:
The basic elements of India’s foreign policy today are the same what they were previously. The only difference is that idealism was emphasised more in the age of Nehru whereas realism got the upper hand in the Shastri-era. But a fine combination of idealism and realism in India’s foreign policy has been witnessed under the leadership of Mrs. Gandhi.
Following are the features of India’s foreign policy:
1. Non-alignment: The main characteristic of India’s foreign policy is non-alignment. India itself is a non-aligned country and so its foreign policy is also based on non-alignment.
2. Opposition to Imperialists and Colonialists: Since India itself remained a victim of British Imperialism, it has always opposed imperialism and colonialism. India regards imperialism to be injurious to world peace as it leads to war. So Indian leaders by visiting other countries and delivering speeches in the U.N. have tried to liberate slave countries from the clutches of imperialistic countries. India has always supported the national movements in the slave countries. Whenever imperialism tried to dominate, India strongly opposed it. When Holland, after the Second World War, tried to overpower Indonesia, India protested against it.
When England and France attacked Egypt to capture the Suez Canal in 1956, India sided with Egypt. In the same way, India strived to liberate countries like Malaya, Algeria, Congo and Morocco. India strongly protested against the United States of America when it tried to overpower Cuba.
3. Opposition to the Policy of Caste, Colour Discrimination, etc. India has always favoured the abolition of the caste system and it has tried to remove caste-ridden policies from the world also. India has consistently raised the question of the treatment of the people of Indian origin in the Union of South Africa and severely condemned the policy of racial segregation followed by the Government of South Africa. India also took up the cause of Negroes in the United States and the non-white population in Rhodesia.
4. Friendly Relations with other States: India is always ready to have friendly relations with other States of the world. India not only improved its friendly ties with Asian countries but with countries of the world also.
5. Unification of Afro-Asian Countries: India tries to unite Asian and African countries to strengthen economic and political relations. India believes that these countries can unitedly oppose colonialism and create an atmosphere for the freedom of other Asian and African countries.
6. Faith in Internationalism: One of the principles of India’s foreign policy is its passion for internationalism. India has full faith in all world organisations such as the U.N., UNESCO, ILO, etc.
7. Importance to the principles of the United Nations: Much importance has been attached to the principles of the United Nations in India’s foreign policy.
8. Respect for Human Rights: On December 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. India has full regard for Human Rights. Almost all the important Human Rights have been included in the Chapters of Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.
9. India is not Neutral in International Politics: Non-alignment is the very basis of India’s foreign policy but it does not stand for India’s non-participation in international politics. Since India has not joined any group, it adopts the policy of rational judgement. In the words of Pt. Nehru, “We can’t and won’t remain neutral when the freedom is in danger, justice is challenged or invasion is in progress.”
India is partial neither to Russia nor to America. That is why India, like other non-aligned countries, blamed the Soviet Union when the Korean war took place and also held America responsible in the Vietnam war.
10. Panchsheel. Panchsheel is another important contribution of India to international politics. The five principles called ‘Panchsheel’ are as given below:
- Nations should respect each other’s territorial unity and sovereignty.
- No nation should attack another nation.
- No nation should interfere in the internal affairs of another nation.
- All the countries of the world would be considered equal irrespective of all distinctions.
- All the countries should have peaceful and harmonious co-existence.
11. National Consensus: India’s foreign policy is based on a national consensus.
12. Faith in Disarmament: India has full faith in disarmament.
Question 2.
Explain the meaning of Non-alignment and distinguish it from neutrality.
Answer:
The world was divided into two Blocs after the Second World War: One bloc was headed by the United States of America whereas the Second Bloc was led by the Soviet Union. After independence, Pt. Nehru, the architect of India’s foreign policy, adopted non¬alignment as its base. He clearly pointed out that India, because of its manifold internal problems, could not afford to snap its relations with either of the two blocs, rather it needed assistance from both the blocs. A country with newly attained freedom could not interfere in international affairs. So, the policy of non-alignment was highly useful for the interest of India.
Meaning of Non-alignment: Following are the meanings derived from the policy of non-alignment:
1. Firstly, India will remain independent by not joining any group. It will not join even an organisation formed by different countries of the world.
2. The policy of non-alignment is an independent policy. A nation, by adopting it, can evade subordination of any group, and can easily form its opinion about any problem after its thorough analysis.
3. Non-alignment is a policy of peacefulness. In Congress convention held at Jaipur in 1948, it was stated, “The permanent feature of India’s foreign policy should be to have friendly and co-operative relations with all the nations so that it may remain aloof from those agreements which divide the world into opposed Blocs and endanger world peace.”
4. Non-alignment does not mean neutrality in international affairs.
5. India’s policy of non-alignment is a positive one. India wants to bridge the gap between eastern and western ideology. According to Pt. Nehru, “India’s policy of non-alignment doesn’t mean to follow a middle path. It is a positive as well as a creative policy which aims at achieving some objectives and the elimination of hatred and enmity between other countries.”
The distinction between Non-alignment and Neutrality: Non-alignment and Neutrality are two different concepts. The term neutrality refers to a situation in which a state does not take any side in a war. The term neutrality is basically concerned with war-like situations, whereas Non-alignment is concerned with both war and peace situations.
Neutrality is a term essentially used in International Law, whereas Non-alignment is a term basically used in international relations.
Non-alignment does not mean neutrality in international affairs: Pt. Nehru made it clear that non-alignment does not stand for remaining neutral to international problems. In 1949, while addressing American Congress, Pt. Nehru said, “When the freedom could be threatened and justice would be in peril when the security of a State would be jeopardised, we cannot remain indifferent, and we will not remain different, our policy is not one of indifference. Our policy is that there should be active efforts for world-peace and it should be given a firm foundation.”
Neutrality is a concept close to isolationism: Non-alignment does not mean non-involvement. It means non-aligned nations in world affairs.
In short, neutrality is a negative concept in the sense that it helps to avoid taking sides in a war while Non-alignment is a positive concept, in the sense that it affirms positive commitment to an independent foreign policy.
Question 3.
Do you agree with the statement that the foreign policy of independent India has pursued the dream of a peaceful world”? Support your answer with any three suitable arguments.
Answer:
On the basis of the following arguments, we can say that “the foreign policy of independent India has pursued the dream of a peaceful world”.
1. Non-alignment:
Following are the meanings derived from the policy of non-alignment:
- Firstly, India will remain independent by not joining any group. It will not join even an organisation formed by different countries of the world.
- The policy of non-alignment is an independent policy. A nation, by adopting it, can evade subordination of any group, and can easily form its opinion about any problem after its thorough analysis.
- Non-alignment is a policy of peacefulness. In Congress convention held at Jaipur in 1948, it was stated, “The permanent feature of India’s foreign policy should be to have friendly and co-operative relations with all the nations so that it may remain aloof from those agreements which divide the world into opposed Blocs and endanger world peace.”
- Non-alignment does not mean neutrality in international affairs.
- India’s policy of non-alignment is a positive one. India wants to bridge the gap between eastern and western ideology. According to Pt. Nehru, “India’s policy of non-alignment doesn’t mean to follow a middle path. It is a positive as well as a creative policy which aims at achieving some objectives and the elimination of hatred and enmity between other countries.”
2. Away from the Cold War: During the Cold War era, India’s foreign policy was based on the principle of non-alignment. It was long before India became free, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, who in charge of External Affairs in the Interim government, had declared Independent India would keep away from power blocs. In 1946, he declared again that India would follow an independent foreign policy.
He said, “We propose as far as possible, to keep away from the power politics of groups, aligned against one another, which have led in the past to world wars and which may again lead to disaster on an even wider scale.” It was, however, after the attainment of independence by India with unique historical experience, geographical situation, and two perceptions of its national interest by enlightened leadership that non-alignment as a policy came to occupy an important position in international relations.
3. Away from the military organisation: India did not join either of the two superpowers in the military organisation known as NATO and Warsaw Pact.
Question 4.
Examine the efforts taken by Jawaharlal Nehru for the promotion of Afro-Asian Unity.
Answer:
Following are the efforts taken by Jawaharlal Nehru for the promotion of Afro-Asian Unity.
- Pt. Jawahar Lai Nehru was marked by the establishment of contacts between India and newly independent states of Asia and Africa.
- Nehru was an ardent advocate of Asian Unity and under his leadership, India convened the Asian Relations Conference in March 1947.
- Efforts were made by India for the freedom of Indonesia from the clutches of the Dutch regime and in support of Indonesia’s freedom, India arranged an international conference in 1949.
- India firmly opposed racism apartheid in South Africa.
- India participated and co-operated in Afro-Asian conference held in the Indonesian city of Bandung in 1955.
- Pt. Nehru a co-founder of the NAM-Non Aligned Movement and its first summit was held in Belgrade in September 1961.
Question 5.
Give any three suitable arguments in favour of India being a staunch supporter of the decolonisation process and in firm opposition to racialism.
Answer:
The following argument will be given in support of India being a staunch supporter of the decolonisation process and in firm opposition to racialism:
- Opposition to Imperialists and Colonialists.
- The opposition of the Policy of Carte, colour discrimination etc.
- Unification of Afro-Asian countries.
Note: For a detailed explanation,
(The basic elements of India’s foreign policy today are the same what they were previously. The only difference is that idealism was emphasised more in the age of Nehru whereas realism got the upper hand in the Shastri-era. But a fine combination of idealism and realism in India’s foreign policy has been witnessed under the leadership of Mrs Gandhi.
Following are the features of India’s foreign policy:
1. Non-alignment: The main characteristic of India’s foreign policy is non-alignment. India itself is a non-aligned country and so its foreign policy is also based on non-alignment.
2. Opposition to Imperialists and Colonialists: Since India itself remained a victim of British Imperialism, it has always opposed imperialism and colonialism. India regards imperialism to be injurious to world peace as it leads to war. So Indian leaders by visiting other countries and delivering speeches in the U.N. have tried to liberate slave countries from the clutches of imperialistic countries. India has always supported the national movements in the slave countries. Whenever imperialism tried to dominate, India strongly opposed it. When Holland, after the Second World War, tried to overpower Indonesia, India protested against it.
When England and France attacked Egypt to capture the Suez Canal in 1956, India sided with Egypt. In the same way, India strived to liberate countries like Malaya, Algeria, Congo and Morocco. India strongly protested against the United States of America when it tried to overpower Cuba.
3. Opposition to the Policy of Caste, Colour Discrimination, etc. India has always favoured the abolition of the caste system and it has tried to remove caste-ridden policies from the world also. India has consistently raised the question of the treatment of the people of Indian origin in the Union of South Africa and severely condemned the policy of racial segregation followed by the Government of South Africa. India also took up the cause of Negroes in the United States and the non-white population in Rhodesia.
4. Friendly Relations with other States: India is always ready to have friendly relations with other States of the world. India not only improved its friendly ties with Asian countries but with countries of the world also.
5. Unification of Afro-Asian Countries: India tries to unite Asian and African countries to strengthen economic and political relations. India believes that these countries can unitedly oppose colonialism and create an atmosphere for the freedom of other Asian and African countries.
6. Faith in Internationalism: One of the principles of India’s foreign policy is its passion for internationalism. India has full faith in all world organisations such as the U.N., UNESCO, ILO, etc.
7. Importance to the principles of the United Nations: Much importance has been attached to the principles of the United Nations in India’s foreign policy.
8. Respect for Human Rights: On December 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. India has full regard for Human Rights. Almost all the important Human Rights have been included in the Chapters of Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.
9. India is not Neutral in International Politics: Non-alignment is the very basis of India’s foreign policy but it does not stand for India’s non-participation in international politics. Since India has not joined any group, it adopts the policy of rational judgement. In the words of Pt. Nehru, “We can’t and won’t remain neutral when the freedom is in danger, justice is challenged or invasion is in progress.”
India is partial neither to Russia nor to America. That is why India, like other non-aligned countries, blamed the Soviet Union when the Korean war took place and also held America responsible in the Vietnam war.
10. Panchsheel: Panchsheel is another important contribution of India to international politics. The five principles called ‘Panchsheel’ are as given below:
- Nations should respect each other’s territorial unity and sovereignty.
- No nation should attack another nation.
- No nation should interfere in the internal affairs of another nation.
- All the countries of the world would be considered equal irrespective of all distinctions.
- All the countries should have peaceful and harmonious co-existence.
11. National Consensus: India’s foreign policy is based on a national consensus.
12. Faith in Disarmament: India has full faith in disarmament. )
Question 6.
Analyse the impact on Sino-Indian relations since 1962 onwards.
Answer:
Before the twentieth century, there was a limited political and cultural interaction between India and China. Till 1962, the relations between the two countries were not very strained. China attacked India on 20 October 1962 over a border dispute. China declared a unilateral ceasefire on 21 November 1962. By waging a war, China was able to capture thousands of miles of Indian territory which is still under Chinese possession.
Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru’s policy of ‘Peace’ was badly affected: Sino-Indian war of 1962 gave a negative impact on ‘Sino-Indian relations.’ China who gave the slogan of ‘Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai’ actually stabbed in the back of India and from that day the relations between India and China got strained. India, now, no more have faith in China. On the other hand, Beijing and Karachi established diplomatic relations. 1963 Pakistan cedes the trans-Karakoram tract to China, ending border disputes. China was showing protective and co-operative attitude towards Pakistan.
However, in 1976, Indo-China relations slightly improved. In 1976, Mr K.R. Narayanan and in 1978 and 1979, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee visited China as ambassadors of peace and friendship. In 1988, Prime Minister Mr Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to China started a new era in Indo-China relations and diplomatic visits cultural exchange, co-operation in science and technology as well as trade relations made by both the countries further improved the relations of the two countries.
Question 7.
How far has India been successful in conducting its foreign policy peacefully and avoiding international conflicts? Explain with the help of examples.
Answer:
In 1947 India won independence and joined comity of sovereign states and thereby qualified to participate as an actor in international politics and relations. The first prime minister of India Pt. Nehru left a deep impact on the foreign policy of India. Since independence, India is trying to conducting its foreign policy peacefully and avoiding inter-national conflicts. After the second world war, the whole world was divided into two major groups.
But India tactfully refused to be the member of any group and followed the policy of Non-alignment-means not to be aligned with or against any major power bloc. India always sided with truth-it may be Afghan problem or crises of Suez Canal. Both the big bloc’s US and USSR tried to have a friendly relation with India. India co-operated with all peace-loving nations and with the United Nations to promote international peace and prosperity without exploitation of one nation by another. India also gives full support to the principle of freedom of dependent peoples and opposition to racial discrimination in any form or kind.
Question 8.
Evaluate the impact of the Chinese invasion of 1962 indenting India’s image at home and abroad both.
Answer:
The Chinese invasion of 1962 indenting India’s image at home and abroad can be evaluated in the following way:-
- India had to approach the Americans and the British for military assistance to tide over the crises.
- During the conflict, the Soviet Union remained neutral.
- No-doubt, it induced a sense of humiliation. On the other hand, it also strengthened a spirit of nationalism among Indians.
- Some of the top army commanders either resigned or were retired.
- Then Defence Minister V. Krishna Menon resigned from the cabinet.
- A no-confidence motion was moved against the government for the first time. Nehru’s own stature suffered a lot as he was criticised for his defence and foreign policy.
Question 9.
Read the following passage j carefully and answer the following | questions:
When India conducted its first nuclear test, it was termed as a peaceful explosion. India argued that it was committed to the policy of using nuclear power only for peaceful purposes. The period when the nuclear test was conducted was a difficult period in domestic politics. Following the Arab-Israel War of 1973, the entire world was affected by the Oil Shock due to the massive hike in the oil prices by the Arab nations. It led to the economic turmoil in India resulting in high inflation.
(i) When did India conduct its first nuclear test and why?
Answer:
India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974. India argued that it was committed to the policy of using nuclear power only for peaceful purposes.
(ii) Why was the period, when the nuclear test was conducted in India, considered to be a difficult period in domestic politics?
Answer:
The period when the nuclear test was conducted was a difficult period in the domestic politics of India. Due to the Arab-Israel War of 1973, the whole world was affected by the Oil-shock, which caused the massive hike in the oil-prices by the Arab-nations. This led to the economic turmoil in India also.
(iii) Which international event of the 1970s was responsible for high inflation in India?
Answer:
The Arab-Israel War of the 1970s caused the massive hike in the oil prices by the Arab nations was responsible for high inflation in India.
Question 10.
Two development strained this relationship. China annexed Tibet in 1950 and thus removed a historical buffer between the two countries. Initially, the government of India did not oppose this openly. But as more information came in about the suppression of Tibetan culture, the Indian government grew uneasy. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, sought and obtained political asylum in India in 1959. China alleged that the government of India was allowing anti-China activities to take place from within India.
Read the above passage carefully and answer the following questions:
(i) What is meant by Tiistorical buffer?
Answer:
Buffer State which is weak and which is situated between two large and unfriendly nations. The function of such a buffer State is to keep the large unfriendly powers apart and thus minimise the chances of war between them.” Poland was a buffer State between Russia and Germany.
(ii) Why didn’t the Government of India oppose the annexation of Tibet by China?
Answer:
The government of India did not oppose the annexation of Tibet by China, because India government did not want to hamper its relations with China.
(iii) How far was it justified on the part of India to grant political asylum to the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetan refugees?
Answer:
It is justified on the part of India to grant political asylum to the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetan refugees because the information came in about the suppression of Tibetan culture by China.
