How to Study International Relations for UPSC Mains – GS paper II

International Relations is an important part of the USPC mains exam. It is part of General Paper-II. The GS Paper II syllabus mentions the following:

International relations: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; India and its neighborhood- relations; Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate; and Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

This is an unavoidable part of your IAS preparation because every year the UPSC asks questions worth around 100 marks from this section. This article gives you tips and strategies to prepare for these topics and also international relations notes for the IAS exam.

How to Study International Relations for UPSC Exam?

This topic contains more dynamic than static portions. It is important to keep abreast of the latest happenings with respect to India and her relations with other countries in the world, to prepare suitable notes for this topic.

For your convenience, while preparing for these topics, we have divided it into sections.

India’s international relations based on location:

India and neighbours (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, China and Nepal)
India and various organizations (UN, G20, ASEAN, GCC, IMF, EU, World Bank etc.)
India and the different regions (The Americas, Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, etc.)
India and the rich nations (Australia, Japan, USA, etc.)
India and the 5 UNSC members (USA, France, China, Russia and UK )

India’s foreign policy during the different phases:

Post independence
Cold war
Non-alignment
Wartime with Pakistan and China
Fall of the USSR
Post 9/11
Current events

When you start reading the IR study material, you must begin by reading about:

The basic philosophy underlying international relations.
Evolution of the foreign policy of India.
Major changes in the world in the last few decades and how India has been affected by those changes.
Role of India in the major international organizations.

In bilateral relations, you must focus on:

India – neighbours
India – USA
India – Russia
India – China

In every relationship, look for the following:

Historical relations
Economic relations
Contemporary issues
Areas of confrontation
Landmark agreements or movements
Way to the future
Unique opportunities or challenges
Indian diaspora

In the IR portions, you must be able to write analytically. You should also be able to predict the future in some respects. Therefore, it is important that you keep reading newspapers and other magazines focusing on the issues pertaining to foreign policy and relations.

The study material for international relations for the IAS exam: