INDIA’S DISARMAMENT POLICY – GLORIOUS ACADEMY

Disarmament means reducing, controlling, or removing weapons, armed forces, and military resources at national and
international levels. India’s disarmament policy is an important part of its foreign policy. The main idea is to promote
world peace by removing nuclear and other weapons. India sees nuclear weapons as threats to humanity, not tools for
war or peacekeeping. India has always said global disarmament should be fair, equal, and universal. All countries,
including major powers, must share responsibilities.

India was active in international disarmament efforts soon after independence. In 1954, India proposed stopping all
nuclear testing until a full ban could be achieved. In 1964, India suggested stopping both vertical proliferation, which
means adding or improving weapons by nuclear powers, and horizontal proliferation, which means spreading nuclear
weapons to new countries, under a single global treaty. These early steps showed India’s opposition to the arms race
and its commitment to peace through cooperation.

India presented several specific proposals to the international community. In 1974, it called for a total ban on the use or
threat of nuclear weapons, calling such acts violations of the UN Charter and crimes against humanity. In 1982, India
suggested a binding convention on non-use of nuclear weapons, a freeze on new production, immediate suspension of
tests, a treaty on complete disarmament within a fixed time, and UN-led public education on nuclear dangers. In 1984,
India and Argentina, Greece, Mexico, Sweden, and Tanzania started the Five-Continent Six-Nation Peace Initiative,
asking nuclear countries to stop testing, production, and deployment. India also joined global agreements like the
Geneva Protocol (1925), Partial Test Ban Treaty (1963), Outer Space Treaty (1967), Sea-Bed Treaty (1971), Biological

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Weapons Convention (1972), and Chemical Weapons Convention (1993).

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India refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and later opposed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
(CTBT) because they were unequal. India said the NPT was unfair as it restricted non-nuclear states but let nuclear
powers keep their weapons. It also criticized the treaty for unclear commitments and not providing security guarantees.
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India said the CTBT was not serious because nuclear powers could continue research using non-explosive methods.
India wanted a global disarmament plan with a fixed timeline before accepting such treaties.
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India’s nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998 did not change its disarmament policy. After the 1998 tests, Prime Minister
Vajpayee confirmed India’s commitment to world disarmament. India said it would keep a minimum credible deterrent,
a voluntary ban on new tests, and a no-first-use policy. The Draft Nuclear Doctrine of 1999 emphasized civilian control
and said nuclear weapons are only for deterrence, not attack. India stated that until global disarmament happens, it
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needs a credible deterrent to protect national security and stability.

INDIA’S RELATION WITH AFRICA – GLORIOUS ACADEMY

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India’s relationship with Africa goes back to ancient times. Evidence from archaeology and texts confirms trade between
India and Egypt as early as the eighth century BC. By the second century BC, Indian traders supplied African markets
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with cotton, silk, and ebony, while Egyptian traders exchanged gold and other goods. During the Mughal period,
diplomatic relations were recorded, like the Abyssinian envoy received by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1657.
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The nineteenth century brought a new form of connection through the indentured labour system. Starting in 1860,
thousands of Indian workers went to South African colonies, mainly to work in Natal’s sugar plantations. This created a
permanent Indian community in eastern and southern Africa. The racial discrimination in South Africa later became the
basis of Mahatma Gandhi’s political awakening when he arrived in 1893. His leadership of the Indian community
started organized protests against racial laws.

Gandhi’s stay in South Africa from 1893 to 1914 marked the first organized phase of India’s engagement with Africa.
Facing severe racial injustice, he founded the Natal Indian Congress and the newspaper Indian Opinion. His work united
the Indian community and gave them a collective voice. Through petitions, letters, and peaceful protests, he demanded
civil rights for Indians and equality before law. In 1907, he started the Satyagraha movement, a method of passive
resistance that became the moral base for later freedom struggles worldwide.

From 1914 to 1947, India’s concern widened beyond its own diaspora. Indian leaders began to link their struggle for
freedom with that of African peoples under colonial rule. The East Africa Indian National Congress, founded in 1918,
worked for equality and cooperation between Indians and Africans. Leaders like Srinivasa Sastri and C. F. Andrews
emphasized that India did not seek colonies in Africa but supported racial equality and self-rule. Gandhi’s growing
influence inspired African nationalists who saw him as a symbol of resistance.

After 1947, India’s Africa policy developed under Nehru. He saw colonialism as a moral evil and believed India should
support liberation movements. Diplomatic missions like appointing Apasaheb Pant in Kenya in 1948 showed India’s
direct engagement. India condemned apartheid, racial discrimination, and the Central African Federation. It supported
movements in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana, and recognized the Mau Mau uprising as a legitimate fight against
colonialism.

The 1955 Bandung Conference strengthened India–Africa ties. Nehru’s cooperation with leaders like Nasser and
Nkrumah gave a base for the Non-Aligned Movement. India supported liberation movements in Algeria, Zimbabwe,
Namibia, and South Africa. Later leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi continued this policy through
NAM summits. India used its position to highlight apartheid and support frontline African states. These steps helped
India gain the trust of newly independent African nations.

By the 1990s, India–Africa relations focused on economic partnership. Trade rose from less than one billion dollars in
1990 to over four billion by 1997. India exported pharmaceuticals, machinery, engineering goods, transport equipment,
and textiles, and imported crude oil, leather, minerals, and cashew nuts. South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and
Tanzania became major trade partners. Relations with South Africa resumed after 1993, boosting bilateral trade over
two billion dollars quickly. India’s engagement with Africa combined historical solidarity with economic cooperation,
giving a balanced dimension to this long relationship.

INDIA’S RELATION WITH ASEAN COUNTRIES – GLORIOUS ACADEMY

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formed in 1967 to promote trade, investment, and
cooperation among Southeast Asian countries. Over time, it became a key regional organization working for economic

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growth, stability, and shared development. India’s association with ASEAN gained importance in the early 1990s when
both sides adopted liberal economic policies. This relationship gradually expanded from trade and investment to areas

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like science, technology, culture, and regional security.

By the early 1990s, ASEAN economies were growing rapidly and looking for new markets and investment. India, under
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Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, introduced economic liberalization in
1991. This included privatization, globalization, and tax incentives for foreign investors. These reforms created a
common interest between India and ASEAN. Vietnam also started its economic reform policy called Doi Moi or
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Renovation, which opened its economy to the world. ASEAN saw both India and Vietnam as suitable partners for
regional economic and political cooperation.

Growing cooperation led to the formation of several joint bodies. The ASEAN-India Cooperation Committee was
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established to strengthen work in selected areas. The ASEAN-India Working Group was formed to find opportunities in
trade, technology, human resources, and culture. ASEAN recognized India’s strength in science and technology,
especially biotechnology and information technology. Both sides proposed joint initiatives in food processing, health
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care, agriculture, engineering, and environmental protection.

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An ASEAN-India Fund was created to finance projects in trade, tourism, computer technology, solar energy, and
environmental conservation. The fund was managed jointly by the ASEAN Secretariat and Indian representatives. The
ASEAN-New Delhi Committee was set up to maintain diplomatic communication and cooperation. India also announced
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six post-doctoral fellowships in science and technology for ASEAN scholars. To promote cultural and intellectual
exchange, both sides started an ASEAN Lecture Series where leaders and academics shared their views in India and
ASEAN countries.

Economic cooperation remains the base of India–ASEAN relations. Before liberalization, India’s socialist policies and
focus on nationalization limited trade ties. After 1991, the situation changed. In 1991–92, ASEAN accounted for six
percent of India’s exports, though India’s share in ASEAN’s trade was less than one percent. The situation improved
after liberalization. India’s expertise in software, small industries, infrastructure, and power became valuable to
ASEAN economies.

Trade between India and ASEAN increased steadily. India’s trade with Thailand exceeded one billion dollars annually.
Major exports included gems, cotton, fertilizers, and fabrics. Imports included pulses, rubber, and synthetic fibers.
Trade with Malaysia crossed one billion dollars, with India importing palm oil, crude rubber, and metals, and exporting
textiles, pharmaceuticals, and engineering goods. Trade with Singapore rose from forty-four million dollars to 1.5
billion dollars by 1992 and grew about ten percent each year.

Trade with Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the Philippines also developed gradually. With Burma
(Myanmar), India signed an MoU in 2001 for the Tamu-Kalemyo-Kalewa road, and agreed to develop transport and
port projects like Sittwe Port and Kaladan river route. India treated Burma as a key gateway to ASEAN trade. By the
late 1990s, India’s exports to ASEAN included animal feed, cotton, rice, groundnuts, and machinery. Indian steel,
herbal products, and textiles were in high demand. Companies like Kirloskar and Tata explored markets in Laos and
Vietnam and contributed to local development projects.