Q18 of 29 Page 1

Read the following passage and answer the following questions:

There has been an attempt in India to develop its economy in a way that the vast mass of citizens are lifted out of poverty and misery and huge economic inequalities are not allowed to exist. The attempt has not quite succeeded; we are still a very poor and unequal country. Yet democratic politics allows spaces for articulating the voice of the poor and the deprived citizens. There is a pressure on the democratically elected governments to combine economic growth with human development. Thus, democracy is not just a political ideal; a democratic government is also a way to provide greater security


a) Mention the major security threats to India.


b) Highlight the broad components of security strategy of democratic India.

a) India’s diversity has been both the point of celebration and contention over the decades. Its geographical location, its democracy and the inherent friction caused by the existence of such diversity has given rise to several threats that have compromised its security on several levels. External security threats to India include terrorism, insurgency and illegal migration along its long borders. Internal security threats include rising unemployment leading to poverty increase, intolerance in the name of religious, social and caste divisions, rising politicisation of minor issues and unhealthy centre-state relations, acts of human rights violation, diseases, epidemics and ecological issues which affect the common people.


b) The broad components of democratic India’s security strategy can be ideally grouped under four categories –


i. Military component – India has a long-standing dispute with its neighbouring countries Pakistan and China both of which are nuclear enabled. This has caused the strengthening of its military capabilities in order to provide adequate security in case of war.


ii. International strategy – India has been an active member of several international institutions in order to protect its security interests.


iii. Preservation of national unity – India is the world’s largest democratic country and this allows the diverse groups present within its boundaries to share political power and an inclusive social structure.


iv. Economic development – India is a developing country and its economic measures are taken with the objective of reducing mass poverty and inequality.


More from this chapter

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16

How did the factional rivalry between the Syndicate and Indira Gandhi result in the split of Congress in 1969.

 17

Read the following passage and answer the following questions-

The Central Asian countries wanted to take advantage of their geographical location and continue their close ties with Russia and also to establish ties with the West, the US, China and others. Thus, the international system saw many new players emerge, each with its own identity, interests, and economic and political difficulties. It is to these issues that we now turn.


a) Why did the Central Asian countries want to maintain ties with both Russia and the West?


b) Name the new players that emerged in the international system after the disintegration of USSR


c) Mention any two profound consequences of it on world politics.

 19

Read the following passage and answer the following questions:

India wanted to generate atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Nehru was against nuclear weapons. So he pleaded with the superpowers for comprehensive nuclear disarmament. However, the nuclear arsenal kept rising. When Communist China conducted nuclear tests in October 1964, the five nuclear weapon powers, the USSR. USA, UK, France and China ( Taiwan represented china) impose the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1968 on the rest of the world. India always considered the NPT as discriminatory and had refused to sign it. When India conducted its first nuclear test, it was termed as peaceful explosion. India argued that it was committed to the policy of using nuclear power only for peaceful purposes.


a) What was the plea of Nehru with regard to nuclear energy?


b) When did India conduct s its first nuclear test and why?


c) Why India always considered the NPT as discriminatory and had refused to sign it?

 20

Read the following Cartoon and answer the following questions


a) What is the basic idea of this cartoon?


b) What does this cartoon say about the nature of hegemony?


c) Mention any two examples of its structural power