UPSC Essay Paper Essay Section B: International Affairs, Global Order, India's Role

Must?Know

• United Nations Charter (1945) established the UN with six principal organs; India was a founding member and has served seven terms in the UN Security Council (UNSC) non-permanent seat (1950–51, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1991–92, 2011–12).
• India’s UNSC non-permanent membership (2021–22) included its advocacy for reform of the Council, emphasizing expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.
• India is a member of the G4 (with Brazil, Germany, Japan) pushing for permanent UNSC seats; the group supports each other’s candidature for permanent membership.
• India has contributed over 250,000 personnel to UN peacekeeping missions since 1948, including in Congo (ONUC), Lebanon (UNIFIL), and South Sudan (UNMISS), earning recognition for professionalism and neutrality.
• India ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2016; committed to reducing emissions intensity of GDP by 33–35% by 2030 from 2005 levels and achieving 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
• India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT, 1968) or Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT, 1996); it conducted nuclear tests in 1974 (Smiling Buddha) and 1998 (Pokhran-II), declaring itself a nuclear weapons state.
• India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), launched at the East Asia Summit (2019), focuses on seven pillars including maritime security, connectivity, and disaster resilience, positioning India as a net security provider.
• India is a member of the Quad (with USA, Japan, Australia), formalized in 2007 and revived in 2017, aimed at ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific through cooperation in vaccines, climate, and critical technologies.
• India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement (2017), Australia Group (2018), and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR, 2016), enhancing its standing in global non-proliferation regimes while still seeking Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership.
• India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy emphasizes regional integration through projects like India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) Motor Vehicles Agreement (not yet ratified).
• India is a founding member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA, 2015), headquartered in Gurugram, with 118 signatory countries, promoting solar energy deployment in sun-rich nations.
• India is not a member of the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, signed 2020) due to concerns over trade imbalance with China and impact on domestic industries.
• India’s Look East Policy (1991) evolved into Act East Policy (2014), deepening strategic and economic ties with ASEAN, particularly in infrastructure (e.g., India-Myanmar Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project) and connectivity.
• India has signed the LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement, 2016) with the USA, enabling mutual use of military facilities for refueling and maintenance, followed by BECA (2020) and COMCASA (2018).
• India has a “Strategic Partnership” with Russia, historically rooted in defense cooperation (e.g., S-400 missile system deal, 2018), despite U.S. CAATSA sanctions concerns.
• India is a member of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), established in 2009; hosted the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa (2016) and advocated for reform of multilateral institutions.
• The New Development Bank (NDB), established by BRICS in 2014 and headquartered in Shanghai, approved its first project in India (2016) – a $350 million loan for renewable energy.
• India is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), joining in 2017; used the platform to highlight terrorism (naming Pakistan-based groups) despite strategic differences with China.
• The 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation provided strategic backing during the Bangladesh Liberation War, leading to the creation of Bangladesh after the Indo-Pak War.
• India’s 1991 economic liberalization, under PM Narasimha Rao and FM Manmohan Singh, shifted foreign policy toward greater global integration, culminating in Look East Policy and G20 engagement.
• India became a G20 member in 1999 and hosted the G20 Summit in 2023 (Delhi), focusing on inclusive growth, climate finance, and digital public infrastructure (e.g., India Stack).
• India has pursued a multi-alignment foreign policy, maintaining ties with both the West and Russia, exemplified by continued defense imports from Russia while deepening defense cooperation with the USA and France.
• India has consistently advocated for a multipolar world order, opposing unipolar dominance and supporting democratization of global institutions like the IMF and World Bank.
• India’s candidacy for permanent UNSC seat is supported by over 140 countries, including all G4 members and several African and Latin American nations, but faces resistance from the P5 and regional rivals.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate – requires integration of historical context, current foreign policy initiatives, and multilateral engagement, but avoids highly technical legal or economic mechanisms.

Common UPSC Traps

Trap: India is a member of all four export control regimes (NSG, MTCR, Wassenaar, Australia Group) – Fact: India is a member of MTCR (2016), Wassenaar (2017), and Australia Group (2018), but not the NSG; its bid is blocked by China since 2016.
Trap: The Quad is a military alliance like NATO – Fact: The Quad is a consultative forum without mutual defense obligations; it lacks treaty-based military integration unlike NATO (North Atlantic Treaty, 1949).
Trap: India signed the RCEP in 2020 – Fact: India withdrew from RCEP negotiations in 2019 and did not sign the agreement; concerns included trade deficit with China and domestic industry protection.
Trap: India’s UNSC permanent seat bid is part of UN General Assembly Resolution 1994 – Fact: No such resolution exists; UNSC reform requires amendment to UN Charter under Article 108, needing approval of two-thirds of UN members and all P5.

Practice MCQs

Question: Which of the following correctly lists India’s initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region?
A) Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, Malabar Exercise, ISA
B) Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, Malabar Exercise, Quad
C) RCEP, BIMSTEC, SCO
D) Act East Policy, IORA, NDB
Answer: B
Explanation: IPOI (2019), Malabar Exercise (with Quad members), and Quad are key Indo-Pacific initiatives.
Why others fail: A includes ISA, which is global and solar-focused, not Indo-Pacific security-specific.

Question: India’s LEMOA, COMCASA, and BECA are foundational agreements with which country?
A) France
B) Russia
C) United States
D) Japan
Answer: C
Explanation: These are defense cooperation agreements signed with the USA to enhance military interoperability.
Why others fail: D is tempting due to growing India-Japan ties, but these agreements are exclusively with the USA.

Question: Which of the following best describes India’s stance on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)?
A) Signed and ratified as a non-nuclear weapon state
B) Signed with reservations on disarmament clause
C) Not a signatory, citing discriminatory nature between nuclear haves and have-nots
D) Ratified after Pokhran-II tests with safeguards
Answer: C
Explanation: India has consistently opposed the NPT (1968) as perpetuating nuclear apartheid, refusing to join as a non-nuclear state despite possessing nuclear weapons.
Why others fail: A is incorrect as India never signed the NPT, unlike non-nuclear states like Japan.

Question: The New Development Bank (NDB) was established during which summit?
A) BRICS Summit, 2012 (Delhi)
B) BRICS Summit, 2013 (Durban)
C) BRICS Summit, 2014 (Fortaleza)
D) BRICS Summit, 2015 (Ufa)
Answer: C
Explanation: The NDB was established at the 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil (2014), with formal operations starting in 2015.
Why others fail: B is tempting as Durban Summit (2013) announced the idea, but legal creation occurred in Fortaleza.

Question: Which of the following is NOT a pillar of India’s Act East Policy?
A) Enhanced connectivity with ASEAN
B) Participation in East Asia Summit
C) Permanent membership in ASEAN
D) Strengthening of strategic ties with Vietnam and Japan
Answer: C
Explanation: India is not a member of ASEAN and does not seek permanent membership; it engages as a dialogue partner.
Why others fail: A and D are core components, making C seem plausible if confused with deeper integration goals.

Question: India hosted the G20 Presidency in which year?
A) 2021
B) 2022
C) 2023
D) 2024
Answer: C
Explanation: India held the G20 Presidency from December 2022 to November 2023, hosting the summit in New Delhi (September 9–10, 2023).
Why others fail: B is tempting due to the overlap in calendar years, but the summit occurred in 2023.

Question: The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched at which event?
A) COP21, Paris (2015)
B) UNFCCC COP15, Copenhagen (2009)
C) G20 Summit, New Delhi (2023)
D) BRICS Summit, Goa (2016)
Answer: A
Explanation: ISA was jointly launched by PM Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande at COP21 in Paris, November 30, 2015.
Why others fail: C is tempting due to India’s climate focus in G20, but ISA predates the 2023 summit by eight years.

Last?Minute Revision

• India served UNSC non-permanent member 8 times (last: 2021–22).
• G4 = India, Brazil, Germany, Japan; mutual support for permanent UNSC seats.
• India’s first nuclear test: 1974 (Pokhran-I, codename Smiling Buddha).
• Pokhran-II tests: May 1998 (Operation Shakti), declared India a nuclear weapons state.
• Paris Agreement adopted: 2015, entered into force: 2016; India ratified: October 2, 2016.
• India not signatory to NPT (1968), CTBT (1996), or Ottawa Treaty (landmines).
• Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) launched: 2019, East Asia Summit, Bangkok.
• Quad members: USA, Japan, Australia, India; first leaders’ summit: 2021.
• LEMOA signed with USA: 2016; COMCASA: 2018; BECA: 2020.
• India joined MTCR: 2016, Wassenaar: 2017, Australia Group: 2018.
• NSG membership bid blocked by China since 2016.
• India withdrew from RCEP: November 2019.
• Act East Policy formalized: 2014 (Modi government); Look East began: 1991 (Narasimha Rao).
• Kaladan project: India-Myanmar connectivity via Sittwe port.
• BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement: signed 2015, not ratified by Bhutan.
• ISA founded: 2015; HQ: Gurugram; 118 signatory countries (verify from standard source).
• BRICS formed: 2009 (Yekaterinburg Summit); India hosted: 2016 (Goa).
• NDB established: 2014 (Fortaleza Declaration); first Indian project: 2016.
• SCO membership: India and Pakistan joined: 2017 (Astana Summit).
• 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty: signed August 1971; crucial during Bangladesh Liberation War.
• G20 established: 1999; India hosted: 2023 (Delhi Summit).
• India’s multi-alignment: defense ties with Russia, strategic ties with USA.
• Multipolar world: India’s consistent advocacy in UN, G20, and SCO forums.
• No UNSC permanent seat without UN Charter amendment (Article 108) and P5 consensus.
• India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway: connects Moreh (India) to Mae Sot (Thailand) via Myanmar.