{"id":1606,"date":"2026-08-09T19:12:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T13:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/psir-pyq\/do-you-think-that-indias-capacity-building-role-in-afghanistan-upsc-psir-2018-5002\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T21:25:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T15:55:44","slug":"do-you-think-that-indias-capacity-building-role-in-afghanistan-upsc-psir-2018-5002","status":"publish","type":"psir_pyq","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/psir-pyq\/do-you-think-that-indias-capacity-building-role-in-afghanistan-upsc-psir-2018-5002\/","title":{"rendered":"Do you think that India\u2019s capacity building role in Afghanistan has shrunk the strategic space for Pakistan there? Discuss."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pq-flow\">\n<div class=\"pq-flow-h\">Flow snapshot <em>\u2014 how the answer moves<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p1\"><span>Intro routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> strategic depth = Pakistan\u2019s doctrine of a pliant Kabul as leverage vs India <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> India replied with capacity building, not arms <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> space narrowed but conditional<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> can soft\/development power deny a rival strategic space? <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> yes, partly, but bounded by hard power<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p2\"><span>Body flow<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p>$3 bn footprint (Parliament, Salma Dam, 433 HICDP\/34 provinces, ICCR students) <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Pant<\/b>: investment ties India to Afghan stability, goodwill Pakistan can\u2019t match <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> connectivity (Chabahar, Delaram\u2013Zaranj, air corridors) bypasses Pakistan, cuts transit chokehold <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Sikri<\/b>\u2019s Kautilyan Mandal logic (friend of neighbour\u2019s neighbour) = structural check <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> [counter enters] <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> post-2021 reset resolves it: Pakistan\u2019s depth never arrived \u2014 Taliban reject Durand Line \/ shelter TTP \/ lean Iran\u2013China <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> Islamabad fears encirclement, Kabul drifts to India <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> India\u2019s capacity-building capital <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> Muttaqi Oct-2025 visit + Kabul embassy upgrade <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Pant<\/b>: pragmatism not endorsement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p3\"><span>Counter-view<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p>soft\/development power vs hard power \u2014 can goodwill deny strategic space when the rival holds ISI\u2013Taliban links, the Haqqani nexus and geography? (<b class=\"pq-sc\">Jacob<\/b>: no Plan B; the 2021 fall shrank India\u2019s own space too)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p4\"><span>Conclusion routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> capacity building did shrink Pakistan\u2019s space, by denying it a monopoly and building goodwill that outlived regime change \u2014 not by displacing proxies<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> the decisive collapse of \u201cstrategic depth\u201d came from the Taliban\u2019s own nationalism; India\u2019s development legacy is what let it profit<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"pyq_year":[43],"pyq_marks":[31],"pyq_topic":[88],"pyq_paper":[69],"class_list":["post-1606","psir_pyq","type-psir_pyq","status-publish","hentry","pyq_year-43","pyq_marks-20-marks","pyq_topic-recent-developments-in-indian-foreign-policy","pyq_paper-paper-2"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/psir_pyq"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5018,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1606\/revisions\/5018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"pyq_year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_year?post=1606"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_marks","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_marks?post=1606"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_topic?post=1606"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_paper","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_paper?post=1606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}