IGNOU MPSE- 001 Important Questions with answers – IGNOU MPSE-001 stands for Master of Arts (Political Science) Term-End Examination: India and the World. It is a course offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for its MA Political Science program.
- The history of India’s relations with the world
- India’s role in the global economy
- India’s foreign policy
- India’s relations with its neighbors
- India’s relations with the United States
Course Structure
- Module 1: Introduction to the Course
- Module 2: India’s Historical and Cultural Ties to the World
- Module 3: India’s Role in the Global Economy
- Module 4: India’s Foreign Policy
- Module 5: India’s Relations with Other Countries
1. What are the salient features of India’s foreign policy ?
In July 2014, at an international conference in Vietnam, a group of foreign policy experts from the western countries desired to know what would be the nature of India’s foreign policy under PM Modi. It was a difficult question for me to answer, hence I decided to go by the manifesto of the BJP. I told them that ‘the Indian foreign policy would strive to improve ties with key states to aid economic development and enhance its global standing, while bolstering its security interests’.
They expressed their doubts pointing out that the complexities in international relations had immensely increased and the strategic equations were in a state of flux, it would be difficult to manoeuvre to achieve the goals for a person who did not have experience in foreign affairs. The same group met me in 2017 in Moscow at another international seminar. This time they expressed their admiration of ‘PM Modi’s deft handling of major powers and significantly raising the level of relationship with them’. By this time Modi had not only developed personal rapport with the US Presidents Obama and Trump but also with Putin and the process of ironing out irritants between Russia and India had begun. With China while meetings with Xi were taking place, India had taken a firm position at Doklam.
IGNOU MPSE- 001 Important Questions with answers – They observed while there was continuity in major policies, the process had changed under PM Modi: he was displaying keenness to play an important role in shaping of the international environment, while managing conflicting interests in India’s favour. Quoting Morgenthau, one of them said that international politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power and one who has that experience in politics can easily deal with international affairs. Since then, more than four years have elapsed and several experts have criticised and praised Modi’s handling of foreign affairs. Hence, it is relevant to understand objectively the key features of his foreign policy and assess whether he has altered the objectives or only the process. There are several notable features of Modi’s foreign policy.
First, he treats foreign policy as an instrument of national interest and he approaches the rival nations with this postulation without worrying about their own policy orientations. The hesitancy witnessed earlier due to rivalry among nations and unwillingness to hurt their sentiments, has been replaced by boldness with clear objective that relations with India are for mutual benefit and not against their rivals. He joined the Quad for Indo-Pacific with US, Japan and Australia with clear objectives for common prosperity and security seeking a common rules-based order for the region that would include all nations in this geographical region on the basis of equality. Another Quad for West Asia with US, UAE and Israel has also been joined for economic prosperity. IGNOU MPSE- 001 Important Questions with answers
2. Evaluate India – South Africa relations.
3. Describe ASEAN Composition and Function.
4. Evaluate the role of various institutions in the making of Indian foreign policy.
5. Discuss the influence of social and business groups’ role in the making of foreign policy.
6. Explain the geo-strategic importance of Central Asia.
7. Explain India’s historical ties with Central Asia.
8. Write a short note on India’s policy towards the Palestine issue.
9. Comment on India’s security concerns in Central Asia.
10. Critically examine the role of MNCs in the contemporary international economic relations.
11. Discuss the approaches to understand Indian foreign policy.
12. What is hunianitarian intervention ?
13. Discuss the importance of KYOTO meet on climate change.
14. Explain the factors contributing to the making of India’s
foreign policy.
15. “Environmental protection is the key to our survival”, do you agree? Critically examine