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General Studies 2025 GS Paper II 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Elucidate

GS Paper II — Q10

"With the waning of globalization, post-Cold War world is becoming a site of sovereign nationalism." Elucidate. (Answer in 150…

"With the waning of globalization, post-Cold War world is becoming a site of sovereign nationalism." Elucidate. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

"वैश्वीकरण के क्षीण होने के साथ, शीत युद्ध के बाद की दुनिया संप्रभु राष्ट्रवाद का स्थल बनती जा रही है।" स्पष्ट कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

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Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

The post-Cold War era of 1990s liberal triumphalism (Fukuyama) and multilateral expansion has yielded to sovereign nationalism as globalization wanes. This retreat is marked by declining global trade-to-GDP ratios, reshoring trends, and a paralysed WTO appellate mechanism post-2008.

Drivers and State Assertions Hyper-interdependence created strategic vulnerabilities—accentuated by pandemic supply-chain disruptions and geopolitical shocks—prompting states to subordinate market efficiency to national security. Sovereign nationalism manifests through reasserted borders, stricter immigration controls, unilateral protectionism, and resistance to supranational arbitration.

Regional Manifestations Universal multilateralism has fragmented into competitive blocs and minilateralism, seen in US-China decoupling, Brexit, the Russia-Ukraine war, AUKUS, and an assertive expanded BRICS. India reflects this pivot by pursuing strategic autonomy and domestic resilience through Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Ultimately, this shift signifies not absolute autarky, but a structural transition toward selective strategic autonomy, where the sovereign nation-state re-emerges as the primary anchor in a fragmented, multipolar world order.

What "Elucidate" is asking you to do

Make a stated proposition plain and then prove it with instances. Elucidate stems almost always carry a claim or a named concept, and very often the words “with examples” or “with suitable diagrams” — the illustration is part of the directive, not decoration.

Structure that answers it

Plain-language statement of what the proposition means → the part that is obscure, resolved → first illustration → second illustration → why the proposition holds

Where marks are lost

Adding terminology; elucidate rewards removing it. The commoner loss is a clean explanation with no example, when the stem asked for examples.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS2 International Relations. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Clear link between globalization's decline and specific nationalist policies with examples.

Key points expected

  • Define 'waning of globalization' (e.g., trade protectionism, supply chain shifts)
  • Identify drivers: US-China rivalry, pandemic, geopolitical conflicts
  • Explain 'sovereign nationalism' (e.g., economic self-reliance, border control)
  • Provide specific examples (e.g., US tariffs, EU strategic autonomy, India's Atmanirbhar Bharat)

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Contextualize the shift from globalization to sovereign nationalism in the post-Cold War era. 10 marks · 150 words

    explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close

    Must cover

    • Define 'waning of globalization' (e.g., trade protectionism, supply chain shifts)
    • Identify drivers: US-China rivalry, pandemic, geopolitical conflicts
    • Explain 'sovereign nationalism' (e.g., economic self-reliance, border control)
    • Provide specific examples (e.g., US tariffs, EU strategic autonomy, India's Atmanirbhar Bharat)

    Loses marks

    • Reciting history of Cold War without linking to current trends
    • Vague generalities without specific policy examples
    • Ignoring the 'post-Cold War' context entirely

    Earns more

    • Mention 'deglobalization' or 'slowbalization' as analytical terms
    • Reference specific trade wars or sanctions
    • Link to the rise of multipolarity
    • Mention the impact on multilateral institutions (WTO, UN)

    Extra mark

    • Cite a specific recent trade policy or geopolitical event
    • Reference a specific scholar or report on deglobalization

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