Forging New Partnerships, Breaching New Frontiers

Description

The decade 2004-14- when the two United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments, led by prime minister Manmohan Singh, were inoffice- was a remarkable milestone in the history of India's diplomacy. The period saw a significant transformation in the way Indiadeals with the external world. Under the quiet and active leadership of prime minister Manmohan Singh, India established important strategic partnerships, managed key security challenges, carved out a position of influence in core domains of global governance, andfostered the economic development and socio-political stability of its neighbourhood. The ten years of UPA rule has been a crucialpassage in the evolution of India's foreign policy, and yet this period has been-until now-curiously understudied. This book bridgesthis puzzling gap in the literature. In this book, seventeen eminent scholars of international relations, drawn from leading universitiesaround the world, examine and debate India's diplomacy during this period. This is the first comprehensive assessment of thetransformations brought by the UPA governments in India's foreign policy. It offers a wide-ranging analysis of India's
bilateralrelations and engagements with important geographic regions, as well as insight into India's diplomacy on major issue areas such asinternational trade, nuclear policy, maritime security, energy, and UN Security Council reform.

About the author:

Rejaul Karim Laskar is former Secretary of the Vichar Vibhag of All India Congress Committee. Over the last one and half decades, Laskar has written extensively on the foreign policy of the two UPA Governments. He did his PhD from Diplomacy and Disarmament Division, Centre for International Politics Organization and Disarmament, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Reviews

“a seminal addition to works on Indian diplomacy”

AMB. SHIVSHANKAR MENON, Former National Security Advisor of India

“a major contribution to contemporary diplomatic history”

AMB. SHYAM SARAN, Former Foreign Secretary of India

“most impressive, thoughtful and insightful volume “

PROF. SUMIT GANGULY, Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations

Indiana University, Bloomington

“required reading for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners interested in the emergence of India as a rising power”

VIVIAN S. WALKER, Executive Director, United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

'"A valuable and timely book. Bringing together reputed international scholars, this comprehensive and readable work on India'ssignificant bilateral, regional, and global initiatives and policies during UPA rule, 2004-14, is a seminal addition to works on Indiandiplomacy. The UPA government presided over India's high-growth years, handled significant transitions such as the global financialcrisis, expanded India's role abroad, and integrated India into the global polity and economy. If news is only the first rough draft ofhistory, this is a polished final manuscript which will be the basis of serious future academic studies of this pivotal period in India'sinternational relations and transformation." -Amb. Shivshankar Menon, Former National Security Advisor of India'

'"This is a most impressive, thoughtful and insightful volume on the origins and evolution of India's foreign policy during the UPAgovernment. The volume deftly covers relations with key countries and regions as well as addressing a number of critical thematicissues ranging from its nuclear diplomacy to its
long-standing quest for a Security Council seat. Those seeking an understanding of thedynamics of foreign policy making during the UPA era will benefit considerably from a careful perusal of this book." - Prof. Sumit Ganguly, Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations, Indiana University, Bloomington'

'"The decade of 2004-14 under UPA rule marked many key transitions for India. It was acknowledged as a major emerging economywith rising military, scientific and technological capabilities and with a vibrant plural democracy. It achieved remarkable diplomaticsuccess with the landmark nuclear deal, a more constructive relationship with China and a neighbourhood policy which promised bothenhanced security and economic benefits. Forging New Partnerships Breaking New Frontiers provides a welcome spotlight on a decisive decade in India's external relations under the leadership of a statesman and visionary, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

This is a majorcontribution to contemporary diplomatic history." - AMB. SHYAM SARAN, Former Foreign Secretary of India'

Forging New Partnerships is a much- needed volume focusing on India’s foreign policy under the United Progressive Alliance Government. Covering a sweeping range of issues, the book gathers together diverse perspectives to offer a nuanced picture of a crucial period in diplomatic history’.

Prof. Sugata Ray, Director (Interim), Institute for South Asia Studies, University of California, Berkeley

‘This scholarly, highly readable volume offers a new and detailed assess­ment of key transformations in India’s foreign policy from 2004 to 2014. It should be required reading for policymakers, researchers, and practi­tioners interested in the emergence of India as a rising power in a volatile region. Its diverse group of contributors also offers valuable insights into the ambivalent relationship between India’s domestic politics, regional interests, and global aspirations’.

Dr. Vivian S. Walker, Executive Director, United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

'"The period 2004-14 witnessed a global financial crisis, the beginnings of a backlash against globalization and the rise of nationalistpolitics around the world. In the new book "Forging New Partnerships, Breaching New Frontiers: India's Diplomacy during the UPArule 2004-14", the editor Rejaul Laskar brings
together a diverse set of area specialists from around the world to provide an insightful set of new perspectives on how India's foreign policy contended with this rapidly changing landscape." -

Prof. Saumitra Jha, AssociateProfessor, Stanford University

'"This iS an excellent volume on Indian Foreign Policy between 2004-14. An important and informative contribution to the academicand policy literature, the book sheds new light on a range of regional, bilateral, and multilateral engagements made by India in thiscritical period." 

Dr. Debak Das, Stanton Nuclear Security Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University

Table of contents

Introduction by Rejaul Karim Laskar (Editor)

• Chapter 1 Foreign Policy of Coalition Governments: The Case of Congress party- led United Progressive Alliance, 2004– 14 by Rejaul Karim Laskar (Editor)
• Chapter 2 India-United States Relations during the United Progressive Alliance 2004-14 by Timothy J. Lynch
• Chapter 3 India-China Relations: 2004-14
  by Srikanth Kondapalli
• Chapter 4 India-Russia Relations during the United Progressive Alliance Governments, 2004-14 by Mervin Bain
• Chapter 5 Quest for Security and Stability in the Asia-Pacific: Japan-India Security Cooperation under the UPA Rule by Shutaro Sano
• Chapter 6 India-Pakistan relations during the UPA rule
  by Isabelle Saint-Mézard
• Chapter 7 Quest for a Peaceful, Prosperous and Friendly Neighbourhood: India's South Asia Policy, 2004-14
  by Thomas P. Cavanna
• Chapter 8 India's 'Look East' Policy during the UPA Rule
  by John D. Ciorciari
• Chapter 9 India-Africa relations under the UPA Governments by Barnaby Dye and Ricardo Soares de Oliveira
• Chapter 10 Quest for Energy, Connectivity and Security: India-Central Asia Relations During the UPA Rule
  by Bhavna Dave
• Chapter 11 Integrating into the Global Nuclear Order as a Responsible Nuclear-Armed State: India's Nuclear Diplomacy, 2004-2014 by Ramesh Thakur
• Chapter 12 India's Quest for Permanent Membership of the UN Security Council: 2004-14 by Kate Sullivan de Estrada and Babak Moussavi
• Chapter 13 India's Maritime Diplomacy, 2004-14
  by Rahul Roy-Chaudhury
• Chapter 14 India's Energy Diplomacy during the UPA rule, 2004-14 by Carolyn Kissane
• Chapter 15 India at the WTO Negotiations, 2004-14
  by Vinícius Rodrigues Vieira
• Chapter 16 Decade of Transformations: India's Foreign Policy under the United Progressive Alliance, 2004-14
  by Rejaul Karim Laskar (Editor)