(a) Discuss the relevance of the demand for New International Economic Order (NIEO) in the present era of globalisation. (20…

(a) Discuss the relevance of the demand for New International Economic Order (NIEO) in the present era of globalisation. (20 marks) (b) Critically examine the major factors responsible for a turnaround in the trajectory of India's foreign policy in the post-cold war period. (15 marks) (c) Discuss the reasons behind India's refusal to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). (15 marks)

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

(a) वैश्वीकरण के वर्तमान युग में नवीन अंतर्राष्ट्रीय आर्थिक व्यवस्था (एन आई ई ओ) हेतु मांग की प्रासंगिकता का विवेचन कीजिये। (20 अंक) (b) शीत युद्ध के बाद भारत की विदेश नीति के प्रक्षेप पथ में परिवर्तन के लिए उत्तरदायी प्रमुख कारकों का समालोचनात्मक परीक्षण कीजिए। (15 अंक) (c) भारत के परमाणु अप्रसार संधि (एन.पी.टी.) पर दस्तखत से इनकार करने के कारणों की चर्चा करें। (15 अंक)

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Directive word: Critically examine

This question asks you to critically examine. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

The question demands critical examination across three distinct but interconnected themes: NIEO's contemporary relevance, India's post-Cold War foreign policy transformation, and India's NPT refusal. Structure the answer with a brief integrated introduction, three separate well-balanced sections for each part (roughly 40%, 30%, 30% weightage), and a synthesizing conclusion that connects these themes to India's evolving global economic-security interface.

Key points expected

Part (a): NIEO's original demands (UNCTAD 1964, UNGA 1974 Declaration) and their persistence in WTO asymmetries, SDGs, and climate finance debates; critique of whether BRICS/AIIB represent NIEO 2.0 or co-optation
Part (a): Globalization's paradox—trade expansion vs. structural inequality, digital divide, and vaccine nationalism as contemporary NIEO-equivalent concerns
Part (b): Economic compulsions (1991 crisis, LPG reforms), end of non-alignment's structural utility, US unipolarity, nuclear tests of 1998 and strategic autonomy recalibration
Part (b): Look East/Act East, civil nuclear deal, Indo-US strategic partnership, and multi-alignment as policy manifestations; critical assessment of continuity vs. change
Part (c): Discriminatory nature of NPT (P-5 monopoly), India's peaceful nuclear explosion 1974, security dilemma with China-Pakistan axis, sovereignty over indigenous capability
Part (c): Civil nuclear deal 2008 as de facto recognition, NSG membership pursuit, and whether refusal remains tenable given technological dependence and non-proliferation pressures

Evaluation rubric

Dimension	Weight	Max marks	Excellent	Average	Poor
Demand-directive understanding	20%	10	Correctly identifies 'discuss' for (a) requiring balanced treatment of relevance and limitations; 'critically examine' for (b) demanding both causal analysis and evaluative judgment on factors; 'discuss' for (c) needing multi-causal explanation with contemporary implications; maintains appropriate depth distribution (20:15:15 marks)	Treats all three parts as generic 'discuss' without distinguishing critical examination requirements; superficial coverage of one part, usually (b) or (c); word allocation skewed toward (a) without proportionate depth	Misreads directives as descriptive 'explain' or 'enumerate'; fails to provide critical evaluation where demanded; ignores marks weightage and writes equal length for all parts
Content depth & accuracy	20%	10	Demonstrates command over NIEO's institutional genealogy (G-77, UNCTAD, Brandt Commission); accurate chronology of India's post-Cold War shifts (Rao, Vajpayee, Modi eras); precise technical knowledge of NPT articles, safeguards, and India's nuclear doctrine; connects all three to IPE and security studies literature	Basic factual accuracy on NIEO demands and 1991 reforms; conflates Look East and Act East; treats NPT refusal only as Pakistan-China threat without structural critique; some anachronisms in policy sequencing	Factual errors (e.g., calling NPT discriminatory without specifying Articles I-II asymmetry); confuses NIEO with NAM; attributes post-Cold War shifts solely to economic factors; misrepresents India's nuclear posture or civil nuclear deal implications
Structure & flow	20%	10	Clear tripartite structure with visible sub-headings; smooth transitions between NIEO's economic justice theme, India's strategic-economic recalibration, and nuclear sovereignty; integrated conclusion showing how economic vulnerability (a) conditioned strategic choices (b,c); effective signposting and paragraph coherence	Three separate sections present but abrupt transitions; conclusion merely summarizes without synthesis; some repetition between (b) and (c) regarding strategic autonomy; adequate but uninspired organization	No clear demarcation between parts; rambling narrative mixing all three themes; missing introduction or conclusion; bullet points without argumentative flow; severe imbalance with one part dominating
Examples / case-law / data	20%	10	Specific citations: UNGA Resolution 3201 (S-I), WTO Doha Round collapse, India's voting patterns on UNGA resolutions on right to development; 1991 crisis figures, Indo-US nuclear deal 123 Agreement text, NSG waiver 2008; India's nuclear doctrine 2003, Arihant commissioning; contemporary references to COVAX, TRIPS waiver, and India's G-20 presidency	General mention of BRICS, IMF conditionalities, civil nuclear deal without specifics; some policy documents named but no precision on dates or provisions; examples from 1990s-2000s but lacking contemporary update	No specific documents, resolutions, or agreements named; vague references to 'international organizations' or 'nuclear powers'; purely theoretical treatment; examples from wrong time periods or confused with other treaties
Conclusion & analytical edge	20%	10	Synthesizes three strands: India's NIEO advocacy (economic sovereignty) evolved into strategic multi-alignment and nuclear exceptionalism, all preserving autonomy amid asymmetric globalization; evaluates whether India's NPT stance remains sustainable given climate imperatives and technological interdependence; offers original insight on Global South leadership tensions	Restates main points without synthesis; generic conclusion on India as 'rising power'; no critical assessment of whether post-Cold War turnaround succeeded or NPT refusal remains justified; predictable ending	No conclusion or abrupt ending; purely descriptive final paragraph; contradictory claims (e.g., India fully integrated yet fully autonomous); ideological rant without analytical grounding; fails to address any of the three question components in closing

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