India Foreign Policy & NAM
International Relations · भारत की विदेश नीति और NAM · 18 facts
Panchsheel (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence): Signed between India and China in 1954 as part of the Tibet Trade Agreement.
Panchsheel 5 principles: mutual non-aggression, non-interference, peaceful coexistence, equality and mutual benefit, mutual respect for sovereignty.
NAM (Non-Aligned Movement): Founded in 1961 at Belgrade Conference; India's Nehru, Egypt's Nasser, Yugoslavia's Tito were founders.
NAM has 120 member states; India was a founding member; movement opposed Cold War bloc politics.
Bandung Conference 1955: First large-scale Asian-African Conference; 29 nations participated; laid groundwork for NAM.
Nehru's foreign policy pillars: anti-colonialism, Afro-Asian solidarity, peaceful coexistence, non-alignment, and opposition to nuclear weapons.
Gujral Doctrine (1996): PM I.K. Gujral's policy of unilateral concessions to South Asian neighbours without expecting reciprocity.
Neighbourhood First Policy (Modi government): Prioritizes India's immediate neighbours; symbolized by inviting SAARC leaders to Modi's first oath ceremony (2014).
Act East Policy (India): Replaced Look East Policy; focuses on ASEAN, East Asia, and deeper economic/security engagement.
SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation): Founded 1985; 8 members (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Afghanistan); HQ Kathmandu.
BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation): 7 members including India; alternative to blocked SAARC.
IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association): 23 members; promotes trade and cooperation among Indian Ocean nations; HQ Ebene, Mauritius.
India's Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam ('the world is one family') — ancient Sanskrit concept became the theme of India's G20 Presidency.
India's strategic autonomy: India maintains independent foreign policy, buys arms from Russia, USA, France, Israel; doesn't join any formal military alliance.
India's 'multi-alignment' replaces old non-alignment: Engages with multiple powers simultaneously without exclusive commitment to any one bloc.
India's UN Voting: India often abstains on contentious resolutions (e.g., Russia-Ukraine war); reflects strategic autonomy.
Foreign policy comes under the Union List (Schedule VII); only the central government can make foreign policy decisions in India.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA): Manages India's foreign policy; External Affairs Minister (currently S. Jaishankar) is the political head.