International Relations UPSC Syllabus

23rd April 2022

GS MICRO TOPICS

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::International Relations::

International Relations (Mains)

UPSC SYLLABUS

India and its neighborhood- 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

INDIA’S FOREIGN POLICY

Evolution and Challenges
- Evolution of India’s foreign policy (Including NAM, Look East and Gujral Doctrine)
- Determinants and challenges of India’s Foreign Policy
Recent Policies
- Neighborhood first policy
- Act east policy
- Link west policy
- Indian ocean outreach
- Soft Power and Hard Power diplomacy
- Defence and Nuclear Diplomacy
- Space diplomacy
- Para diplomacy-A New Way for Indian Foreign Policy?
- Middle Power Coalition
- Significance of PMO in foreign policy making
- India’s Strategic Connect with the World
- Rise of Realpolitik in India’s Foreign Policy in recent times
- Indian Diaspora

INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS

India-China
- Border dispute
- China’s string of pearls
- China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Prospects and Pitfalls
  - Maritime Silk Road” linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans
  - Why India is alarmed regarding BRI?
- India’s trade deficit with China
- China’s Malacca Dilemma
- 2+1 Dialogue mechanism proposed by China
- A rising China: Challenges the US primacy in Asia and role of India
- Chinese project of diverting Tibetan waters
- South China Sea: objection of China to India’s presence
- China denies CPEC backing as ‘debt trap’ for Pakistan (Debt trap diplomacy of China)
- The Unintended Consequences of India’s Policy on Citizenship for Tibetan Refugees
- Indias Concern in Joining RCEP
- China’s Economic Slowdown
India-Pakistan
Indo-Pak Relations : Border Dispute and J&K issue
- Terrorism emanating from Pakistan
- Indus waters policy shift
- Dispute over Gilgit-Baltistan
- CPEC in PoK
- Nuclear India-Pak-US
- Indian stance regarding Baluchistan
India Bhutan
- Bhutan’s significance for Indian Foreign policy
- India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty
- Objection of Bhutan to India’s Motor vehicle agreement
- Bhutan’s rejection of China’s BRI
India-Nepal
- Indo-Nepal Relations : Fluctuating ties
- Nepal’s tilt towards China
- Nepal-China Transit Agreement: An Evaluation
- India’s concern about Nepal’s new Constitution
- The Issue of Water and Hydropower Cooperation
- Nepal Bharat Maitri Project
India-Myanmar
- Democracy in Myanmar
- Scope for cooperation between N-E India & Myanmar
- Rohingya issue
- Buddhist Chauvinism
- Major Projects: Kaladan multi-modal corridor, India-Myanmar- Thailand trilateral highway
India-Bangladesh
- Indo-Bangladesh Relations
- Water Dispute Teesta water issue & Ganga river dispute
- Bangladesh demand to stop the construction of the Tipaimukh Hydro- Electric Power Project on the Barak River
- Differences in approach of India and China towards Bangladesh
- Illegal Immigration
- Understanding Bangladesh’s Unexpected Development Success
India-Afghanistan
- Instability in Afghanistan and role of India
- India’s cooperation in Afghanistan
- Moscow Format
India-Maldives
- Geostrategic Importance of Maldives
- Recent developments in Maldives exemplifying recalibration of ties
- FTA Between China and Maldives – Warning For India
India-Srilanka
- Sino-Sri Lanka Relationship
- Fishermen issue
- Issues on 13^th amendment (Tamil & Minority Rights)
- Human Right violations & OHCHR Resolution on Sri Lanka
Indian Ocean Region
- Indian Ocean region and world affairs
- India is a “Net Security Provider” of the Indian Ocean
- Increasing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean
- 20 years of formation of IORA
- Piracy in the Indian Ocean
- Seychelles’ parliament refusal to ratify an Indian naval base plan on the Assumption Island
- Importance of Seychelles to India
Indo-Pacific
- Concept of Indo-Pacific from perspectives different countries
- East Asia Summit acts as a bridge for Indo-Pacific region
- India-Pacific Regional Dialogue
SAARC/BIMSTEC/BBIN
- SAARC: Challenges and Prospects
- Intra-low regional trade
- BIMSTEC as an alternative to SAARC
- Nepal withdrew from first ever BIMSTEC’s military drill in India.
- Progress of BBIN project
Global Issues
- Disarmament
- Climate Change
- Terrorism
- Global Governance
- Indian Diaspora

INDIA AND EXTENDED NEIGHBOURHOOD

India-Indonesia
- Indonesia’s vision as a “Global Maritime Axis.” and it’s significance for India
India-Singapore
- India-Singapore Bilateral Agreement for naval cooperation
Thailand
- Indo-Thai relations: Challenges & opportunities
India-Vietnam
- India -Vietnam’s strategic cooperation
India-ASEAN
- Importance of ASEAN in establishing peace and stability in region
- ASEAN-India Relations: Prospects and Challenges in Economic Partnership
- India’s cooperation with the ASEAN has been less than China and Japan

CENTRAL ASIA

Connect Central Asia Policy
- Importance of central Asia
- Golden Crescent
- Connectivity Projects (INSTC, Ashgabat Agreement, TAPI Pipeline)
India Mongolia
- India-Mongolia Bilateral Cooperation
- Mongolia launched construction of first strategically oil refinery, constructed by India

WEST ASIA/MIDDLE EAST

Importance of West Asia for India
Change in West Asian strategic thinking
China’s engagement in West Asia and challenges to India
Reasons behind India’s active strategic engagements with West Asian countries without participating in West Asian turmoil
Shia-Sunni wedge in West Asian countries
Importance of Saudi Arabia, Challenges in India-Saudi Arabia Relations
Plight on Indian migrant workers.
Relations between India and United Arab Emirates
Middle East to India Deep water Pipeline (MEIDP)

India-Iran
- Consolidating India-Iran Cooperation
- Connectivity- Importance of Chabahar port
- Iran nuclear deal: Iran Sanctions & India’s Options
India Israel:
- From ‘in the closet’ into a fast-developing open relationship
- strategic significance of the Indo-Israeli relationship
- De-hyphenation of Israel and Palestine

INDIA AND WORLD

India-Africa
- India-Africa Trade relations: Prospects
- Contribution of Indian Diaspora in various fields in Africa.
- African co-operation in ensuring security and peace in Indian Ocean region
- India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa’s hydrocarbon sector.
- Strategic Partnership between India and South Africa
India-Europe
- The first India-Nordic Summit
- What is GDPR? its implication for India
- influx of refugees into Europe
- irritants between India-EU (FTA)
- A new European Union strategy for India
- Ukrainian Crisis’ has lead to resurgence of cold war
- Brief on India-UK relations
- Brief on India-France relations
India and USA
- Brief of India-US relations
- Mutually supportive Defence cooperation relationship
- logjams in implementation of civil nuclear cooperation agreement between India and the USA
- Bilateral Social Security Agreements
- The rise of protectionist regime in USA and the challenges for the Indian
- Importance of New Security strategy (NSS) of USA for India
- Recent US extraterritorial Sanctions and their potential impacts on India
- Potential impact of US sanctions towards Russia, Iran and North Korea using CAATSA on US-India relation,
- USA pulls out of INF treaty-Its implication for India
- Pivot to the East policy of the USA
- The Arithmetic of India-U.S. Relations and the Russian Factor
- The First India-US 2+2 Dialogue: An Assessment
- Challenges in Implementing JCPOA after the US Withdrawal
- LEMA-Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement
- Visa, Free Trade and WTO
India-Canada
- Uranium Deal
India-Russia
- India’s increasing defence deal with USA, Israel
- Russian arms deal with Pakistan
- Stagnation between India-Russia Relations
- Russian proposal of ‘Eurasian Economic Union
India-Japan
- Japan’s funding of major projects in India
- Nuclear Pact
- Japan’s Pacifism
- 13th annual India – Japan summit
India-Australia
- Australia’s “An India Economic Strategy to 2035”, a vision document
- Nuclear cooperation between India- Australia

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATON AND GLOBAL ISSUES

United Nation and UNSC
- UNSC Reforms : Importance and Challenges
BRICS
- Advantages of setting up the New Development Bank
- Prospects and Challenges of BRICS
Commonwealth
- Shared history of Commonwealth
- Relevance in current time and Areas of Cooperation
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
- Benefits and challenges of India’s entry in SCO
IMF – The International Monetary Fund:
- issues concerning the reforms in Bretton Wood twins and needs structural reforms to reflect post globalization realities of the world
NATO – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization:
- Relevance of NATO in post USSR era
TPP – The Trans-Pacific Partnership:
- Will RCEP prove to be a competitor of TPP in the Asia-Pacific region
WTO – The World Trade Organization:
- Doha round and Singapore Agenda: Challenges in implementation
- USA-India dispute
- Need to revamp WTO
Arctic Council:
- Arctic is attracting global interest
IAEA
- India’s nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards
UK Referendum – Brexit
- Consequences of Brexit for United Kingdom and European Union,
- Effect of Brexit on China and India
Refugee problem:
- Does the world need a new UN convention on refugees
- United Nations member states (except the U.S. and Hungary) agreed on a Global Compact for Migration to better manage international migration
Terrorism:
- Reasons of rise of far right wing politics in many developed and developing countries
- The Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT)
- UNSC’s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions
  Committee on Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief Masood Azhar
- Security Council Resolution 2322 to enhance the efficacy of international legal and judicial systems
- Lone-wolf attacks.
Yemen Crisis-
- Yemen Crisis: Reasons and impacts
South China Sea
- Contention over South China Sea and South China Sea Ruling
- Senkaku and Diaoyu conflict between China and Japan
- Role of India in the wake of increasing South China Sea dispute
Other
- World coming towards a new multi-polar order with USA as a waning superpower and China-Russia axis as an emerging challenger
- India and the International Solar Alliance
- Venezuela-Columbia Border Issue
- AIIB & The Changing World Order
- Multilateral export control regimes : Significance and challenges of India’s Entry
- US-Venezuela Stand-off : Impact on Global Oil Prices
- Renaissance and Reticence in India’s North-South Connectivity Platform
- Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Stocking Oil for Rainy Days
- QUAD: Strategic and economic benefits
- India has been accorded associate member status by IEA,: Its importance for India
- Why RIC is as important to India as JAI and BRICS?
- Rising Protectionism and Currency Wars
Indian Diaspora
- Role played by Indian Diaspora
- Issue of safety of Indians abroad
- Schemes for Welfare of Overseas Indian
- Indian Diaspora in Gulf
Nitaqat law and Present Status