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This book is an attempt to provide alternative understanding of Indian foreign policy, theoretically as well as through case studies. Engaging with critical issues, Indian foreign policy is no longer based on ideals but is gradually moving towards instrumentality and materialism. The book engages with and debates this key shift in foreign policy posture of India. There are two arguments that the book explores. First, political power of a ruling group is determined by its capability to address issues of global interest and especially those which appear to be exigent. The capability, in turn, depends upon the institutional and ideational specifics of the political class that dominates the discursive practices. The second argument is case specific and relates to foreign policy decision-making in India. The chapters in the book aim to address some concerns and issues in contemporary foreign policy which are gaping India in the face, and yet important to be understood and confronted. As India has the label of an ‘emerging’ or ‘rising’ power, it is imperative to address these concerns in contemporary global politics.  

Contents: 1 Introduction: Indian Foreign Policy in the Contemporary Global Order/Ladhu R. Choudhary. I. Missing Theoretical Criticality in Indian Foreign Policy: 2 Re-mapping India’s Identities: A Theoretical Appraisal/Ladhu R. Choudhary. 3 India and the World Order: Re-calibrating, Re-imagining, and Re-shaping Indian Foreign Policy/Ananya Sharma.4 Small versus Large; Secure versus Vulnerable; Stable versus Precarious: Understanding India–Maldives Relations in Contemporary South Asian Politics/Amna Sunmbul. II. Some Issues in Contemporary Indian Foreign Policy: A New Perspective: 5 Re-Reading the Indo-US Nuclear Deal: A Social Constructivist Perspective/Areeba Ahsanat Moazzam. 6 India’s Engagement with the Global Nuclear Order: The Road from Perennial Outlier to an ‘Insider’/Arun Vishwanathan. 7 The Syrian Refugee Crisis and India’s Position/Shayesta Nishat Ahmed. III. Critical Areas for Indian Foreign Policy: 8 India’s Policy Towards Latin America and the Caribbean: From ‘Backwaters’ to the Land of ‘El Dorado’/Jamini Buragohain. 9 Perils and Prospects of India–Iran Relationship/Vinay Kaura. 10 The Politics of Humanitarian Intervention: A Critical Analysis of India and China’s Role in Afghanistan/Rahul Dev. 11 The Way Forward: Indian Foreign Policy at Crossroads/Amna Sunmbul.