PSIR - Strategy, resources & discussion
Hi peeps. Let’s do this!
1. Previous papers from 2009 (both papers are in the same PDF):here2. Topic-wise PYQs: here
3. Look for PDFs of books here: b-ok.cc, http://libgen.rs/, archive.org
4. Model answers from SR:here
5. OnlyIAS notes, if you need extra matter for a few topics:here
6. SR notes, typed:politicsforindia.com
PSIR peeps, help me get this.
Does MEA while deciding on foreign policy decisions think along the lines of these IR theories thought out by think tanks or take inputs from them. Or does any other country for that matter.
Or it is other way round. That is, think tanks try to undertand these foreign policy decisions made by govt and postulate such IR theories.
whatonly,
Constructivism is NOT positivist. They say objective reality don’t exist it is socially constructed.
Yeah that was totally wrong. Very embarrassing. I'll just curl up in a corner and wish to die now.
whatonly,PSIR peeps, help me get this.
Does MEA while deciding on foreign policy decisions think along the lines of these IR theories thought out by think tanks or take inputs from them. Or does any other country for that matter.
Or it is other way round. That is, think tanks try to undertand these foreign policy decisions made by govt and postulate such IR theories.
MEA is known for its closed-shop and elitist nature. Traditionally, it gave little little regard to academic theories. This is gradually changing with the rise of Track 2/Track 1.5 fora where policymakers can discuss issues with academics. National Security Advisory Board is also emerging as a forum for seeking expert opinion.
On the other side of it - Interpretation- there is a lack of policy information due to Official Secrets Act, lack of systematic timelines for de-classifying diplomatic archives, reluctance of diplomats/bureaucrats to talk candidly. Scholars, dependent upon the state for information, rarely take critical stances on official policies due to a fear of facing sanctions and professional disadvantage.
TL;DR- I would say NEITHER; they are neither heard, nor do they have enough info and independence to critically analyse policy. As a result Indian academia distances itself from hard realities of foreign policy.
Arsene,i think both influence each other. for instance for a long time scholars were suggesting USA to strenghten its alliance system and reassure its allies and at G7 we saw a glimpse of that. Similarly, to check china many experts suggested offshore balancing and Quad is an example of that materialising.PSIR peeps, help me get this.
Does MEA while deciding on foreign policy decisions think along the lines of these IR theories thought out by think tanks or take inputs from them. Or does any other country for that matter.
Or it is other way round. That is, think tanks try to undertand these foreign policy decisions made by govt and postulate such IR theories.
Does anybody here know what is the career path that one can take to become a foreign policy/strategic analyst?
Which universities in the world offer the most recognized courses in geopolitics/strategic studies?
A call to Bodhisattvas : If someone here is already engaged in this endeavor, could you please DM. I need a mentor for guidance.
Dionysus,
Unlike lending from China—and even from IMF and World Bank—Indian lines of credit are demand-driven, consultative, transparent, andnonconditional- Harsh pant
As a rule goods and services forminimum 75%value of contracts covered under Exim loans must be sourced from India - finance ministry
To my understanding the kind of conditions that India imposes involve mostly procurement quotas. Technically these do make the loans conditional, but it’s what we call “tied aid”, and it’s pretty common. In international lending, whether bilateral or multilateral, when we say conditional loans it does not usually refer to this tied aid, but to conditions which go beyond the loan projects themselves, such as democratic reforms, progress on environmental parameters, and in China’s case, access to natural resources and keeping other countries out of the playing field. So I don’t think the two statements are really inconsistent :)
Unlike lending from China—and even from IMF and World Bank—Indian lines of credit are demand-driven, consultative, transparent, andnonconditional- Harsh pant
As a rule goods and services forminimum 75%value of contracts covered under Exim loans must be sourced from India - finance ministry
Exim loans are given to companies and corporations dealing with imports and exports right? I think Harsh Pant was talking about loans given to foreign governments but to be really sure I would have to look at the article in which he says this to understand the context.
Unlike lending from China—and even from IMF and World Bank—Indian lines of credit are demand-driven, consultative, transparent, andnonconditional- Harsh pant
As a rule goods and services forminimum 75%value of contracts covered under Exim loans must be sourced from India - finance ministry
Exim loans are given to companies and corporations dealing with imports and exports right? I think Harsh Pant was talking about loans given to foreign governments but to be really sure I would have to look at the article in which he says this to understand the context.
http://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/17/india-china-africa-development-aid-investment
https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?ID=11539
Unlike lending from China—and even from IMF and World Bank—Indian lines of credit are demand-driven, consultative, transparent, andnonconditional- Harsh pant
As a rule goods and services forminimum 75%value of contracts covered under Exim loans must be sourced from India - finance ministry
To my understanding the kind of conditions that India imposes involve mostly procurement quotas. Technically these do make the loans conditional, but it’s what we call “tied aid”, and it’s pretty common. In international lending, whether bilateral or multilateral, when we say conditional loans it does not usually refer to this tied aid, but to conditions which go beyond the loan projects themselves, such as democratic reforms, progress on environmental parameters, and in China’s case, access to natural resources and keeping other countries out of the playing field. So I don’t think the two statements are really inconsistent :)
i am not sure about what counts as conditional aid. I was reading a chapter on india's developmental aid in oxford handbook , and the author doesnt own india's argument of altruistic, benign aid policy. According to the author from the very beginning India's aid was geopolitically driven. In case of nepal and bhutan, the majority of indian aid projects were concentrated on developing road infra as per indian military priorities. The ITEC program commenced in backdrop of '62 war in order to rival china's aid and development assistance. The writer finds a positive correlation between Indian and chinese assistance and negative one between indian and soviet, reflecting the alliances of the time.
In another chapter, constantino xavier puts question mark on India's diplomatic jargon of demand driven, non prescriptive aid to africa. According to him there's not much difference between so called neo-mercantilist and rapacious chinese approach and altruistic Indian approach.
hence the confusion
Haan. I was just speaking about the technicality. The motives and planning of the aid/loans can be debated. Even I have to read more on this.
Dionysus,
Unlike lending from China—and even from IMF and World Bank—Indian lines of credit are demand-driven, consultative, transparent, andnonconditional- Harsh pant
As a rule goods and services forminimum 75%value of contracts covered under Exim loans must be sourced from India - finance ministry
The access to credit is non-conditional, right? The 75% rule is one of the requirements under the loan agreement(much like interest rate, tenure). Under Indian LoC, the beneficiary nation does not have to fulfill any pre-credit condition. Not sure though, just an interpretation.
Inselberg,whatonlywhatonly,has anyone read Indian Political System by himanshu roy and MP singh
It looks relevant judging by the table of contents. I didn't find any reputed names among the authors, so it may lack in quotability value. Let me know if you find out more.
PS It's available on libgen, if you didn't know that already
Dionysus,
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