The current Russia-Ukraine crisis has become one of the most important developments in international relations, making it extremely important for the UPSC Civil Services Exam – both from the preliminary and main point of view. From the exam point of view, it is important to see the ongoing events as well as link them with the static topics to be prepared as a whole.
Ukraine, Russia war: what to prepare for the preliminary exam
From the Prelims point of view, instead of looking at the dynamics of the crisis, students need to remember the relevant geopolitics and international organizations.
One of the reasons for the Russian invasion has been the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) into Europe, a US-led Cold War military alliance.
Since the breakup of the USSR and the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, NATO has gone through a period of expansion, including several former states, students should pay attention to.
Further students should also become familiar with other important regional and international organizations associated with countries involved in the crisis, including the European Union, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Agreements Minsk I and II. The Normandy format of dialogue (consisting of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia) that seeks to resolve the conflict.
Another important area to focus on from the prelims perspective is the geographical importance of the region. Questions in the news in UPSC Prelims ask on the geographical features of the places.
Students should focus on the region of the Caucasus located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, the countries included in the region include the former Soviet states of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the importance of Crimea, the strategic importance of the port of Sevastopol, and the Navy. Base, climatology and important marine features.
The southern regions of Georgia—South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which saw Russian intervention in 2008—and the eastern districts of Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine that were flashpoints of the current crisis, should also be remembered as direct questions may be asked about their location. .
Given the West’s reaction to economic sanctions, students should be aware of the characteristics and importance of a global financial network—supervised by the Belgium-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) and G-10 central banks. Russia has been separated from the alternative international financial messaging system developed by Russia – the System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) to replace SWIFT.
Another notable topic for prelims is Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, systems of offshore natural gas pipelines in Europe that run from Russia to Germany. Students should also remember some important strategic points of India-Russia relations like the S-400 deal and Operation Ganga to rescue Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine for the prelims exam.
Ukraine, Russia war: what to do to prepare for the main exam?
With respect to Mains, the topic is important for General Studies Paper 2 which includes International Relations.
Candidates should be aware of the times of crisis and its impact on global politics, especially human rights and security crisis as well as how it affects the interests of India.
Here students should take note of the steps in the UN Security Council and the General Assembly as well as India’s response, including statements by Ambassador TS Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, calling attention to the importance and importance of the international order. let’s focus. Dialogue for dispute resolution.
India’s stance needs to be analyzed, emphasizing the co-existence of the pragmatism and tradition of Gandhian peace and non-violence, as well as a way to balance its Western and Russian allies while protecting its national interests. .
In addition to the direct questions in GS2, indirect questions can also be asked in GS1 regarding the physical geography of the world related to the region and debate on the overabundance of democracy and eternal peace, the politics of nuclear weapons, the refugee crisis, the failure of human rights. We do. Norms and related ethical issues to GS4. Crisis can also be important for an essay in which topics related to global governance, a changing world order and the need for a new international governance can become important topics.
Another important aspect of Mains is the optional paper and students of Political Science and International Relations especially need to keep an eye on developing issues along with interlinkage with stable theories and concepts.
The idea of ”Russian Mir” or “Russian world” and the ‘limited sovereignty’ thesis by Russian leaders such as Putin and Lavrov can be linked to the larger theme of sovereignty in Paper 1 and Paper 2.
The Ukraine crisis can effectively be linked to the revival of realism, particularly aggressive realism and the concept of security dilemma and deterrence in Section A of Paper 2 of PSIR which deals with international relations.
It is also linked to the changing polarity in global politics, the advent of revisionist powers such as Russia and China, and how it affects the current world order.
Students can also correlate the inability of the UN Security Council to take concrete steps to deter Russia with the structural flaws inherent in the organization and the need to reform it.
For Section B, Paper 2 of PSIR, which deals with India’s foreign policy, students need to analyze how the current crisis affects India’s interests and India’s role as a responsible power in the world order. can perform. Importantly, the Indian response was accompanied by the ongoing shift from idealism to realism in India’s foreign policy, with Jaishankar of the Ministry of External Affairs and former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale as a move towards “issue-based alignment” rather than non-alignment. Might fit.
The crisis can also be analyzed using the Kautilya Mandal theory, where new ‘Vijigishu’ are emerging to transform global politics, establish their power and counter American hegemony in international politics.
– Written by Prerna Trehan, Academic Director – Political Science and International Relations in Sleepy Classes
read all breaking news, today’s fresh news And Assembly Election Live Updates Here.