30 March 2023

DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS

 Q1. India requires a comprehensive foreign strategy that can address the needs of strengthening internal capabilities, establishing cooperative geoeconomic relationships, and forging alliances with other nations who share its values. Examine. (250 words)

 Paper & Topic: GS II –  International Relations

 Model Answer:

Introduction:

• India’s history, culture, geography, and economics all have an impact on the country’s foreign policy. Foreign policy in our nation was clearly shaped by Jawaharlal Nehru, our first prime minister. The focus of foreign policy is always shifting to reflect shifting world circumstances. Certain Directive Principles of State Policy on Promotion of International Peace and Security are also outlined in Article 51 of the Indian Constitution.

Body:

The concepts have endured the test of time and are embedded in both Indian foreign policy and international law. The following are the guiding concepts of Indian foreign policy:

• Panchsheel
• the non-alignment policy.
• Resistance to racism, imperialism, and colonialism.
• conciliation of international conflicts.
• a commitment to international law, the UN, and a fair and equitable world order.

How the New World Order is affected by India’s new foreign policy:

• In 1991–1992, India’s overall trade was around $38 billion; this year, it is anticipated to reach $1.3 trillion.
• This represents around 40% of India’s GDP and demonstrates how interconnected India is with the rest of the globe.
• Delhi has turned to free trade accords with nations like Australia, Britain, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel after giving up on the RCEP.
• Deepening interaction with countries whose economies are complementary: This must be viewed as the start of a process of strengthening India’s engagement with such nations.
• In the spirit of economic efficiency and globalisation, India is also making the case—much like the US and China—that no significant nation can merely transfer local production to other nations.
• With the slogan “Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” India is now undertaking a number of measures to promote local manufacturing in a variety of areas.

Integrated foreign policy’s challenges include:

• India withdrew from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at the end of 2019, indicating that the consequences of joining a regional economic order centred on China are intolerable.
• The fact that Pakistan is one of the key nations in China’s BRI project presents India with a significant strategic dilemma.
• Neighbourhood First has not produced many results due to India’s problematic relations with Pakistan.
• China has been able to exert political pressure on its partners thanks to its strategic and economic position in South Asia. Consider the South China Sea disputes.
• organisations like the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement’s effectiveness and relevance.
• Poor relations between India and Pakistan have also made it difficult for SAARC to operate properly.
• rising protectionism in the supply of goods and services.
• terrorism and radicalization are causes for concern.
• Strict criticism has been levelled at India’s trade agreements and indigenous industry promotion initiatives.

Steps to take to implement an integrated foreign policy:

• The new system should be built on the following three ideas:
• cohabitation in peace.
• First, the concept of peaceful coexistence and post-colonial sovereignty should be used to define the Asian Century.
• refraining from meddling in the internal affairs of other countries.
• Artificial intelligence (AI), cyberspace, space, agriculture, and a knowledge-based economy are all developing at a faster rate than other sectors of technology in order to achieve sustainability.

New commercial ethics:

• The creation of new trade standards was driven by equitable, sustainable, and inclusive growth.
• Public health, agriculture research, renewable energy, batteries, and even AI, whose value is derived from shared data, should all be considered global public goods.

 Values of civilization:

• The conceptual basis for changing both the economic system and societal behaviour for just and sustainable growth comes from ancient civilisational principles. Consider the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam idea.

Moving ahead:

• India had the luxury up until this point of treating its foreign, economic, and strategic policy as distinct fields.
• An integrated approach to policies is necessary for Delhi to better combine its financial, trade, technological, security, and foreign policies in order to respond to the current geoeconomic upheaval in the world.
• Above all, India requires a strategy that can address the imperatives of enhancing domestic capabilities, forging geoeconomic alliances, and forging geopolitical alliances with nations that share its values.
• India must pursue both domestic economic development and regional peace and stability as part of its foreign policy.

Q2. Discuss how the debate about India’s “national language” has changed since independence. Do you think India needs to create a national language? critically analyse. (250 words)

 Paper & Topic: GS II –  Government Policies and Interventions

 Model Answer:

Introduction:

• People from many different communities, ethnicities, and faiths live in the varied nation of India. Languages in India differ like water every few kilometres, according to a well-known proverb. Since language is a fundamental aspect of culture, no national language should be given precedence over any other languages used in India. Whether Hindi should be regarded as India’s “National Language” has been debated since the Constitution’s creation.

Body:

The debate about India’s “national language” following independence:

• The issue of picking a national language was unresolved when the Indian Constituent Assembly began crafting the Constitution.
• Hindi-speaking provincial representatives advocated a number of pro-Hindi reforms and argued for making Hindi the only official language.
• The Assembly was divided on this issue, and it appeared that the discussion would lead the Assembly’s unity to disintegrate. The “Munshi-Ayyangar” formula, a compromise, was created as a result and accepted. The parliament would have to wait 15 years before replacing English with Hindi for all official purposes, according to the statement.
• In 1965, as the deadline of 15 years for plans to replace English with Hindi drew closer, there were threats of violent disturbance in the southern states of India.
• In response, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru pledged that English would remain in use unless non-Hindi speakers publicly requested a change.
• Widespread opposition to the use of Hindi led to the passage of the Official Languages Act of 1963, which ensured the continued use of English for all governmental purposes.
• By 1965, the Union government only had Hindi as a working language, whereas the State governments were permitted to use whichever language they choose.
• The constitutional mandate that the Union government support the growth of Hindi was upheld by Central government organisations in non-Hindi-speaking States.
• Since these languages were added to the Indian Constitution’s Eighth Schedule in 1971 and given the right to representation on the Official Languages Commission, India’s language policy started to emphasise the promotion of regional languages.

A national language has several benefits, such as:

• Language is not simply a tool for communication; it is also a key component of identity because all human thoughts and values are expressed and experienced via it.
• A person conceptualises and communicates his ideas in a language that enables him to participate fully in society.
• Actually, because language enables communication between individuals, it creates a fundamental group for people.
• Language is the most important tool for taking part in state politics.

Problems with enforcing the national language:

• In most nationalisms, a shared language plays a unifying role, but its hegemonic imposition is difficult and divisive.
• The risks of imposing a language are manifold.
• The learning capacity of non-native speakers can be affected, which could reduce their confidence.
• Moreover, it might reduce variety and endanger other languages and dialects.
• The goal of national integration cannot be achieved at the expense of language-based identities.
• To see how language has repeatedly been used throughout history to foster divisiveness and chauvinism, one only needs to look at Bangladesh as an example.

The following scenario could happen if Hindi is designated as a national language:

• If Hindi were to be declared the national language, then all citizens would be required to study it.
• Given that Hindi is the most often spoken language in the area, people from the north of India would surely benefit from this condition more than those from other parts of India, who would have to start learning a language from scratch.
• In fact, it would unfairly give those from northern India a competitive advantage over everyone else.
• The governments are still making a lot of effort to promote Hindi; one recent example is the controversial three-language formula, under which the Union mandated that Hindi be taught in all public schools.
• When Nehru claimed that non-Hindi speaking states shouldn’t be compelled to use Hindi, he was right.
• Even though they object, the central governments have forced them to use Hindi.

Conclusion:

• It has been said that India can be compared to a beautiful carpet with a pattern that encompasses several ethnic representations woven into knots that firmly hold the entirety of the country. This carpet loses some of its beauty if one culture or language is valued more highly than another. If other well-evolved or threatened indigenous languages are not preserved and supported, future generations may never understand their “real” roots and culture. Instead, we should cherish and promote all languages. By making its rulings available not only in Hindi but also in other regional languages, the Supreme Court recently took a step in that direction.