Detailed, Step-by-Step NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Political Science Chapter 13 India’s External Relations Questions and Answers were solved by Expert Teachers as per NCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines covering each topic in chapter to ensure complete preparation.
India’s External Relations NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Political Science Chapter 13
India’s External Relations Questions and Answers Class 12 Political Science Chapter 13
Question 1.
Write ‘true’ or ‘false’ against each of these statement.
(a) Non-alignment allowed India to gain assistance both from U.S.A. and U.S.S.R.
(b) India’s relationship with her neighbours has been strained from the beginning.
(c) The Cold War has affected the relationship between India and Pakistan.
(d) The treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1971 was the result of India’s closeness of U.S.A.
Answer:
(a) True
(b) True
(c) True
(d) False.
Question 2.
Match the following :
(а) The goal of India’s (I) Tibetan spiritual foreign policy in the leader who crossed period 1950-1964 over to India.
(b) Panchsheel (II) Preservation of
territorial integrity, sovereignty and economic development
(c) Bandung Conference (III) Five principles of
peaceful coexistence.
(d) Dalai Lama (TV) Led to the establish¬
ment of NAM.
Answer:
(a) – (II); (b) – (III); (c) – (IV); (d) – (I)
Question 3.
Why did Nehru regard conduct of foreign relations as an essential indicator of independence ? State any two reasons with examples to support your reading.
Answer:
According to Pt. Jawaharial Nehru indepen-dence consists fundamentally and basically of foreign relations. That is the best of independence. All else is local autonomy.
- Pt. Nehru followed the policy of non-alignment. In fact, India was the first country which initiated the policy of non-alignment. Pt. Nehru said : “Our general policy is to avoid entanglement in power-politics and not to join any group of powers as against any other group
- India adopted the policy of Non-alignment as Indians were ambitious to enjoy freedom in every sphere.
Question 4.
“The conduct of foreign affairs is an outcome of a two-way interaction between domestic compulsions and prevailing international climate.” Take one example from India’s external relations in the 1960 to sub¬stantiate your answer.
Answer:
The above mentioned statement is true to a great extent in the international forum. The main aim of the foreign policy of each country is to protect national interests. Hence the determinates of foreign policy of any country are both i.e. domestic as well as international.
We can take the example of “Sino-lndian conflict of 1962’ which dented India’s image at home and abroad. In October 1962 China attacked India. India was not prepared for war, India had to approach the U.S.A. and Great Britain for military help to face the war. The Soviet Union remained neutral in this conflict. In the war India was defeated and China was able to capture thousands of miles of Indian area which is still in its possession.
No doubt nation was humalited but at the sametime spirit of nationalism was strengthened. Pt. Nehru’s policies were criticised in the parliament and outside the parliament. Even vote of no-confidence was moved against his government in the Lok Sabha. As a result defence minister Krishna Menon submitted his resignation.
The ‘Sino-lndian Conflict’ affected the opposition as well. Growing differences between China and U.S.S.R also created differences within the communist party of India. Ultimately, in 1964 there was split in the communist party of India.
Question 5.
Identify any two aspects of India’s foreign policy that you would like to retain and two that you would like to change, if you were to become a decision maker. Give reasons to support your position.
Or
Explain any two aspects of India’s Foreign Policy which you support and any two aspects, which you would like to be changed.
Answer:The basic elements of India’s foreign Policy today are the same what they are previously.
Two Aspects of India’s Foreign Policy which I would like to retain are as follow :
- The main characteristic of India’s foreign policy is non-alignment. Even today the policy of non-align¬ment is very useful for India.
- Much importance has been attached to the principles of United Nation in India’s Foreign Policy. The need is that India should be made permanent member of the Security Council of U.N.
Two Aspects of India’s Foreign Policy which I would like to change are as follows :
- For the security of the country it is very essential that India should become a strong and powerful nation. India should go for nuclear arms.
- Policy of non-alignment is good but for world peace and security of the country, India should actively participate in world affairs.
Question 6.
Write short note on the following :
(a) India’s Nuclear Policy.
(b) Consensus in foreign policy matters.
Answer:
(a) India’s Nuclear Policy—
India is against the policy of nuclear experiment. In principle, India has stood for general and complete disarmament within the framework of the United Nations. Addressing the General Assembly, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister, asked nuclear powers to eliminate all nuclear weapons by the year 2010. India is the sixth country in the world enjoying atomic power by having undertaken a successful atomic experiments in 1974. There are four Atomic Power Centres working in India. But this power is being utilised for peaceful and creative purpose and not for making atomic-bombs.
After India conducted nuclear tests in May, 1998 United States and other countries urged India to sign CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) unconditionally. But India reiterated its stand that since the treaty is discriminatory, it is not acceptable to the nation without any change.
(b) Consensus in foreign policy matters. India’s foreign policy is based on a national consensus. After achieving independence, India adopted non-alignment as the basis of her foreign policy. Pt. Jawaharial Nehru is rightly acknowledged as the chief architect of India’s foreign policy.
Pt. Jawaharial Nehru outlined the basic elements of India’s foreign policy aims in his speech broadcast to the nation on 7th September 1946. In fact, Prime Minister Nehru was his own foreign minister. Thus both as the prime minister and the foreign minister, he exercised profound influence in the formulation and implementation of India’s foreign policy from 1946 to 1964.
No doubt, there were many political parties beside congress party. Some parties and groups believed that India should be more friendly to U.S.A. because that bloc claimed to be pro democracy. Bharatiya Jan Sangh and Swatantra Party were opposed to commission and wanted to follow pro U.S. foreign policy. But when Janata Party came into power in 1977, there was no basic change in foreign policy. There have been no wide swings or radical changes in India’s foreign policy, though there has been a shift in emphasis, for instance, on close ties with the U.S.S.R. or U.S.A.
Question 7.
India’s foreign policy was built around the principles of peace and cooperation. But India fought three wars in space of ten years between 1962 and 1972. Would you say that this was a failure of the foreign policy ? Or would you say that his was a result of international situation ? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer:
There is no doubt that India’s policy is based on the principle of peace and cooperation. One of the basic determinants of Indian foreign policy is world peace. India has always formulated its foreign policy to promote world peace. India’s foreign policy is based on Panchsheel. But unfortunately India fought three wars in a space of ten years between 1962-72.
However, we would not say that this was s failure of the foreign policy. In fact, this was a result of international situation. Actually differences started between India and China when China annexed Tibet in 1950. Border dispute was another issue of conflict between India and China. China claimed Aksai—Chin area in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir and also claimed large area of Arunachal Pradesh, This international situation was responsible for conflict between India and China.
War of 1965 between India and Pakistan is aiso a result of international situation. Conflict between India and Pakistan started just after partition over Kashmir. In 197 I India and Pakistan fought another war on Bangladesh issue.
Question 8.
Does India’s foreign policy reflect her desire to be an important regional power ? Argue your case with the Bangladesh war of 1971 as an example.
Answer:
It is true to some extent that India’s foreign policy reflect her desire to be an important regional power. This was very much revealed during the Bangladesh war of 1971, Bangladesh, which was a part of Pakistan and was known as East Pakistan, emerged as an independent state in 1971. East Bengal was not given fair treatment by the rulers of Pakistan and it was made virtually a colony.
In an election held early in 1971, Sheikh Mujib’s Awami League got majority in Pakistan Parliament. But Sheikh Mujib was not called to form a government and he was arrested. East Bengal declared independence and the liberation was started. India helped Awami League in the war. War took place between India and Pakistan in December 1971 and Pakistan was defeated in the war. India was the first country to grant recognition to the people’s Republic Bangladesh.
Question 9.
The Political leadership of a nation affects its foreign Policy. Explain it with the help of examples from India Foreign Policy. (C.B.S.E. Sample Paper 2018)
Or
Describe the contribution of Jawa- harlal Nehru in shaping the Foreign Policy of India. (C.B.S.E. 2013)
Answer:
It is hard fact that political leadership of a nation has a great affect on the foreign policy of a nation. The foreign policy of India has been influenced by the individual traits of its great leaders. Jawaharlal Nehru’s ideology has sufficiently affected India’s foreign policy. He was deadly against imperialism, colonialism, fascism and supported peaceful way of solving problems.
He favoured friendly cooperation and peaceful co-existence. Pt. Nehru formulated five principles of peaceful existence among the nations of the world. They were accepted first by the Chinese Prime Minister Chou-En-Lie. These principles are known as Panchsheel.
Pt. Nehru, the architect of India’s foreign policy, adopted non-alignment as its base. He clearly pointed out that India, because of its manifold internal problems, couldn’t afford to snap its relations with either of the two blocs. A country with newly attained freedom couldn’t interfere in international affairs.
Hence the policy of non-alignment was adopted due to ideology and views of Pt. Nehru. Besides Pt. Nehru, the ideology of Dr. Radhakrishnan, Krishna Menon, Pannikar, etc. left its impact on India’s foreign policy in relation with Chinese. The bases as well as practical elements lying in India’s foreign policy were preserved during the regime of late Prime Ministers Sh Lai Bahadur Shastri, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the present Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi.
Question 10.
Read this passage and answer the questions below : (Imp)
“Broadly, non-alignment means not tying yourself
off with military biocs it means trying to view
things, as far as possible, not from the military point of view, though that has to come in sometimes, but independently, and trying to maintain friendly relations with all Countries.”
(a) Why does Nehru want to keep off military’ blocs ?
(b) Do you think that the Indo-Soviet friendship treaty violated the principle of non-alignment ? Give reasons for your answer.
(c) If there were no military blocs, do you think non-alignment would have been unnecessary ?
Answer:
(a) Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to keep off military blocks to the newly independent countries for the protection of sovereignty, integrity and dignity of newly independent countries.
(b) Indo-Soviet friendship did not violated principle of non-alignment, because India did not join Soviet bloc or military bloc. Moreover, it was a treaty of peace and cooperation.
(c) Non-alignment does not mean only not to join any military block. Non-alignment has a wider meaning. The policy of non-alignment is an independent policy. Non-alignment is a policy of peacefulness. Non-alignment policy is a positive one. Non-alignment does not mean neutrality in international affairs. Policy of non-alignment is relevant even today.