INDIA AND ITS FOREIGN POLICY: FOR UPSC AND BPSC MAINS EXAM.

Note: the source of discussion is based on various sources available on the internet, and some books.

India is a very large country either compared with the area or its large population. India is called the symbol of unity in diversities because it is an abode of so many religions, sects, castes, etc. To manage the affair of the country with foreign nationals one separate department in India is established called the ministry of external affairs of India is the government agency responsible for conduct the foreign relation. At the time of the cold war, India adopted the foreign policy of non-alignment, but manages close relations with erstwhile USSR, after the end of the cold war India needs to revive its foreign policy. 
The objective of Indian Foreign Policy:

• To protect India's core national interests and concerns in a rapidly changing international environment by fostering support and understanding in the international community.
• To preserve the autonomy of the decision-making process and to play a pioneering role in the establishment of a stable, prosperous, and secure global order.
• To strengthen the international campaign against terrorism which is a global threat.
• To build an international environment that is supportive of India's rapid economic growth including higher investments, trade, access to the technology, and strengthening India's energy security.
• To work closely with P-5 countries and to build strategic ties with the major powers such as the US, UK, EU, Japan, Germany.
• To intensifying and strengthening ties with neighbors through mutually beneficial cooperation and by an acknowledgment of each other's legitimate concerns.
• To work for the realization of SAARC as an economically integrated region at peace with itself and engaged with the world.
• To ensure the cross-border terrorism is brought to an end and the entire infrastructure of terrorism operating from Pakistan is dismantled.
• To further gains from India's ACT EAST POLICY and aspire from substantive progress in several areas of common interest to India and ASEAN.
• To strengthen our ties with the countries of the Gulf-region that has become home to over 4 million Indians and is a major source of supply of oil and gas.
• To leverage economic growth through support to the activities of regional organizations like BIMSTEC, Mekong-Ganga, IOR-ARC, etc. 
• To continue to work closely with regional groups like the EU and G-20 for further India's interests in the international arena.
• To reform and restructure the UN security council and espouse multi-polarity in the world order that respects the principles of sovereignty and non-intervention.
• To promote more equitable equations between the developed and the developing worlds in the political, economic, and technological domains.
• To work towards the goal of global nuclear disarmament within a time-bound framework.
• To closely interact with the Indian diaspora on a continuing basis in order to strengthen their bonds with India and to recognized their pivotal role in India's international relations.
• GUJRAL DOCTRINE OF INDIA:  The Gujral doctrine is a milestone in India's foreign policy. It was propounded and initiated in 1996 by I.K. Gujral, the then foreign minister in Dev Gowda government. The doctrine advocates that India being the biggest country in South Asia, should extend unilateral concessions to the smaller neighbors. In other words, the doctrine is formulated on India's accommodating approach towards its smaller neighbors on the basis of the principle of non-reciprocity. It recognizes the supreme importance of friendly and cordial relations with India's neighbor. The doctrine is a five-point road map to guide the conduct of India's foreign relations with its immediate neighbors.

1. With neighbors like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Srilanka- India should not ask for reciprocity, but give to them what it can in good faith.
2. No South-Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interest of another country of the region.
3. No country should interfere in the internal affairs of another country.
4. All South-Asian countries should settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.
5. Gujral himself explained- The logic behind the Gujral doctrine was that since we had to face two hostile neighbors in the North and West, we had to be at "total peace" with all other immediate neighbors in order to contain Pakistan's and China's influence in the region.

Connect the central Asia policy of India: India launched the "connect central Asia policy''. The policy is aimed at strengthening and expanding India's relations with the central Asian countries.

These countries include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc. India's connect central Asia policy is a broad-based approach including political, security, economic, and cultural connections, its features are as follows:

1. India will continue to build on its strong political relations through the exchange of high-level visits. India's leaders will continue to interact closely both in bilateral and multilateral fora.
2. India will strengthen its strategic and security cooperation. India already has strategic partnerships with some central Asian countries. The focus will be on military training, joint research, counter-terrorism, coordination, and close consultation on Afghanistan. 
3. India will set-up multilateral engagement with central Asian partners using the synergy of joint efforts through existing fora SCO, EEC.
4.  India looks to Central Asia as a long-term partner in energy and natural resources. The medical field is another area that offers huge potential for cooperation.
5. Connection to people to people is the most vital linkages to sustain deep engagement.

ACT EAST POLICY: In 2014, the Modi government upgraded India's -LOOK EAST POLICY and renamed it as the- ACT EAST POLICY. The LOOK EAST POLICY was first initiated in 1992 by the then PM PV Narasimha Rao.while addressing the India ASEAN summit 2014, the PM Modi said - A new era of economic development, industrialization and trade have begun in India.

The features of  ACT EAST POLICY:

• india's Act East Policy focusses on the extended neighborhood in the Asia-Pacific region. The policy which was originally conceived as an economic initiative has gained political, strategic, and cultural dimensions including establishment of institutional mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation.
• India has upgraded its relations to the strategic partnership with Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, etc.
• Further apart from ASEAN, ASEAN Regional Forum and East Asia summit, India has also been actively engaged in regional fora such as BIMSETEC, Asian Cooperation dialogue, Mekong Ganga cooperation, etc.
• Act East Policy has placed emphasis on India-  ASEAN cooperation in our domestic agenda on infrastructure, manufacturing, trade, skills, urban renewal, smart city, make in India, and other initiatives. connectivity projects, cooperation in space, people to people exchanges could become a springboard for regional integration and prosperity.
• The objective is to promote economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop strategic relationships with countries in the Asia-Pacific region through continuous engagement at bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels thereby providing enhanced connectivity to the states of NORTH-EASTERN Region including Arunachal Pradesh with other countries in our neighborhood.
• On strategic issues, India has increased convergence on security interests with key partners both in bilateral and multilateral formats.