Topics
The World since 1991
Key Concepts and Issues since 1991: Globalisation
Key Concepts and Issues since 1991: Humanitarian Issues
Contemporary India: Challenges to Peace, Stability and National Integration
Contemporary India: Good Governance
India and the World
Notes
Objectives of Indian Foreign Policy:
An important objective of Indian foreign policy is to maintain international peace and security. It has been incorporated as a Directive Principle of State Policy in Part IV Article 51 of the Constitution of India which states that the governments of India shall strive for the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security. Further, since independence, India aspired to emerge as a major power and play an influential role in international politics.
The objectives of Indian foreign policy include protection of the sovereignty and integrity of the country, promoting economic growth and development, and ensuring national security in a broader sense. Since the 1990s, India has adopted the policy of greater integration with the world economy in order to sustain a high growth rate. As a result, good relations with neighbouring countries, having strong relations with regional groups (such as ASEAN or EU), ensuring peace and order in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific regions are also some important objectives of contemporary foreign policy of India.
The main and first and foremost objective of India’s Foreign Policy –like that of any other country-is to secure its national interests. The scope of "national interests” is fairly wide. In our case it includes for instance: securing our borders to protect territorial integrity, countering cross-border terrorism, energy security, food security, cyber security, creation of world class infrastructure, non-discriminatory global trade practices, equitable global responsibility for the protection of environment, reform of institutions of global governance to reflect the contemporary realities, disarmament, regional stability, international peace and so on.
In order to sustain its growth trajectory, India needs substantial external inputs. To succeed, our on-going programmes such as Make in India, Skills India, Smart Cities, infrastructure development, Digital India, Clean India etc. need foreign partners , Foreign Direct Investments, financial assistance and transfer of technology.India’s foreign policy’s added focus on this aspect in recent years has resulted in Diplomacy For Development by integrating economic diplomacy with political diplomacy.
