ESSAY also Relevant for GS (Pre &Main)
Dimensions of Indian Foreign Policy & the Growing Challenges
Every sovereign country has its foreign policy. India too has one. Foreign policy refers to the sum total of principles, interests and objectives which a country promotes while interacting with other countries. Even though there are certain basic features of a foreign policy it is not a fixed concept. The thrust of foreign policy keeps on changing according to changing international conditions. India’s foreign policy is shaped by several factors including its history, culture, geography and economy. Our Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, gave a definite shape to the country’s foreign policy. The Republic of India is the second most populous country and the world’s most-populous democracy and has one of the fastest economic growth rates in the world. With the world’s tenth largest military expenditures and eleventh largest economy by nominal rates or fourth largest by purchasing power parity, India is considered to be a regional power and a potential global power. It is India’s growing international influence that increasingly gives it a more prominent voice in global affairs. India has historically played a prominent role in several international organizations. It has a long history of collaboration with several countries and is considered a leader of the developing world. India was one of the founding members of several international organizations, most notably the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Asian Development Bank and the G20