Core XIV | India’s Foreign Policy (UG Semester VI)

By / UG- Political Science, Semester VI / 3 minutes of reading

This course has been designed to provide the students with critical insights into the different determinants, the fundamental goals, and numerous dimensions of India’s foreign policy. It engages in the areas of economic, political, diplomatic, and strategic relations with major powers like the USA, Russia, and China. It aims to highlight the need for promoting peace and stability in the South Asian countries.

The ambition to become a global power cannot be accomplished without having strong ties with the regional organizations. Further, India’s presence in different regional organizations has not only strengthened its global presence, but has also enhanced diplomatic possibilities. To further enhance India’s aim to pursue strategic autonomy, this course attempts to study India’s foreign policy through organizations such as SAARC, BIMSTEC, G20, QUAD, and SCO.

Course Content

Unit I: India’s Foreign Policy in a Changing World

a) Evolution of India’s Foreign Policy

b) Major Bases & Determinants

c) Idealism, Realism, and Pragmatism in India’s Foreign Policy

Unit II: Relationship with Major Powers: Political, Economic, Strategic

a) India’s Relationship with USSR/Russia

b) India’s Relationship with USA

c) India’s Relationship with China

Unit III: Relationship with South Asian Countries

a) Relationship with Pakistan

b) Relationship with Nepal & Bangladesh

c) Relationship with Sri Lanka & Afghanistan

Unit IV: India and Regional Organisations

a) SAARC, BIMSTEC

b) BRICS, SCO

c) QUAD, G20+

Essential Readings

  1. Bishwakarma, J. K., & Hu, Z. (2022). Problems and Prospects for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Politics & Policy, 50(1), 154–179.
  2. Dutt, V. P. (2009). India’s Foreign Policy in a Changing World. Vikas Publishing House.
  3. Ganguly, S. (2019). India’s Foreign Policy. Oxford University Press.
  4. Ghosh, P. (2020). International Relations. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.
  5. Jaishankar, S. (2020). The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World. HarperCollins Publishers India.
  6. Khana, V. N. (2018). Foreign Policy of India. Vikas Publishing House.
  7. Khurshid, I. (2023). Modi’s US Foreign Policy: Strategic Autonomy Redefined. Journal of Asian and African Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096231173395
  8. Malone, D. M. (2011). Does the Elephant Dance? Contemporary Indian Foreign Policy. Oxford University Press.
  9. Melone, D. M., Mohan, C. R., & Raghavan, S. (2017). The Oxford Handbook of India’s Foreign Policy. Oxford University Press.
  10. Muni, S. D. (2020). India’s “Neighbourhood First” Policy and the Chinese Challenge: The Cases of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. In India’s Great Power Politics (pp. 103–121). Routledge India.
  11. Nehru, J. (1963). Changing India. Foreign Affairs, 41(3), 453–465.
  12. Sikri, R. (2014). Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy. Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, 9(1), 56–69.
  13. Singh, P. (2022). International Relations. McGraw Hill.
  14. Stuenkel, O. (2020). The BRICS and the Future of Global Order. Rowman & Littlefield.
  15. Tharoor, S. (2013). Pax Indica: India and the World of the Twenty-First Century. Penguin UK.

Source: Undergraduate (UG) Political Science Syllabus – Core XIV (Semester VI): India’s Foreign Policy.

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