PYQ Vault · Paper 2 · Indian Foreign Policy: Determinants & Institutions

Examine the role of ‘parliamentary diplomacy’ in India’s foreign policy.

How the answer moves

The flow snapshot — the routes in, the body, the counter-view and the routes out.

Flow snapshot — how the answer moves
Intro routes

Route 1 parliamentary diplomacy = legislators acting beyond the executive → through delegations & dialogues → a democratic layer, but bounded

Route 2 executive holds the defining role → legislative reach widens external engagement → works within clear limits

Body flow

Tharoor: democratic/representative dimension, bipartisan bridge → committees (foreign affairs & defence) scrutinise & influence in national interest → IPU + CPA → multilateralism + democratic values projected abroad → Raja Mohan: amplifies India’s voice, cultivates bilateral/regional ties → MP-to-MP understanding on climate change, terrorism, development

Counter-view

Chaudhuri: Parliament limits but does not dictate → no legal requirement for approval → practice underutilised, executive dominates

Conclusion routes

Route 1 integrates democratic oversight + enhances soft power, yet potential constrained by executive primacy

Route 2 a supporting instrument, not a driver → democratic reach is real but bounded by executive dominance

Model answer

Handwritten, in the form it would be written in the examination hall.

Handwritten model answer — UPSC PSIR 2019, Indian Foreign Policy: Determinants & Institutions