The shift from "Look East" to "Act East," maritime security, freedom of navigation, and balancing China's naval expansion.
United Nations (UN) and its agencies, World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and World Health Organization (WHO).
Be aware of these common mistakes that aspirants often make:
For the most reliable information, use these authoritative sources:
International Relations (IR) is a dynamic and high-yielding segment of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It spans both the Prelims (Current Affairs) and Mains (General Studies Paper II).
Reforms required in the IMF and World Bank to give developing nations a fair voice.
: India maintains a principled stance against signing the NPT and CTBT, viewing them as structurally discriminatory.
: Impact of US, EU, and China's policies on Indian interests. : The role and influence of the Indian community abroad. 4. Important International Institutions Multilateralism
This guide provides structured notes, key topics, and resources to help you curate your own . 📚 Importance of IR in UPSC
Climate justice, loss and damage funds, and India’s leadership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
: India actively counters China's "String of Pearls" maritime encirclement strategy and opposes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) due to sovereignty violations in Gilgit-Baltistan.
| Source | Purpose | |--------|---------| | India’s Foreign Policy by (ORF) | Conceptual clarity | | MEA Website (mea.gov.in) – Annual Reports, Lok Sabha Q&A | Authentic, updated data | | Current Affairs – The Hindu/IE’s “International” section + Rajya Sabha TV debates | Dynamic updates | | Ministry of External Affairs’ “India & the World” | Official summaries | | Previous Years’ UPSC Papers (2013–2024) | Pattern identification |
To score well in IR, your notes should not just be factual but analytical:
Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri.
Most aspirants print their IR PDFs in July, only to realize by February that the content is obsolete. Do not print everything. Use a hybrid method:
: Agreements involving India or affecting its interests (e.g., QUAD, BRICS, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, G20, I2U2).