Foreign Policy of India K.R. Gupta and Vatsala Shukla Vol- 02

Foreign policy encompasses a set of principles adopted and followed by a nation for securing its objectives of national interest during the course of its relations with other nations. It translates the ideals and broadly conceived goals of a nation into concrete courses of action as per prevailing international environment. The foundations of India’s foreign policy were laid during the freedom movement when our leaders—even while fighting for independence—were engaged in the great causes of protecting the country’s territorial integrity, developing cordial relations with other nations, particularly those facing poverty, hunger and slavery and abolition of colonization and racial discrimination from the world. The principles of India’s foreign policy that emerged then, such as resolution of conflicts by peaceful means, sovereign equality of all states and equity in the conduct of international relations have stood the test of time. The other features of India’s foreign policy have been its strong advocacy of disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, non-alignment, regional cooperation and non-intervention in the internal matters of other countries. The policy of use of weapons ‘in retaliation only’ is an integral part of India’s doctrine of credible minimum nuclear deterrence. The book Foreign Policy of India, in two volumes, provides a deep insight into various aspects of India’s foreign policy, viz. its core values, salient features, determinants as well as the external factors like changing international scenario influencing it. It will prove immensely useful to students and teachers of foreign policy, international relations and political science and researchers in these fields.