Traditional Notions of External Security
- The greatest danger to a country is from military threats. The root of this danger is the other country which by threatening military action endangers the core values of sovereignty and independence.
- There are three choices with the government in response to the threat of war. These choices are to surrender, to prevent the other side from attack and to defend itself during the war and four components of traditional security i.e. deterrence, defense, balance of power and alliance building.
- Deterrence means prevention of war; defense means limiting or ending war; balance of power means there should be balance between bigger and smaller countries and alliance building means coalition of states.
- A good part of maintaining a balance of power is to build up one’s military power that coordinate their actions to deter or defend against military attack.
- According to the traditional view of security, most threats to a country’s security come from outside its borders.
- Within a country, the threat of violence is regulated by an acknowledged central authority i.e. the government.
- But in world politics, each country has to be responsible for its own security.
Traditional Notions of Internal Security
- Traditional security must concern itself with internal security which has not been given so much importance due to various reasons.
- After the Second World War, internal security was more or less assured to the powerful countries on the Earth.
- Most of the European countries faced no serious threats from groups or communities living within those borders. Hence these countries gave importance to external security.
- The main concern for the external security was the era of Cold War. Both the superpowers were afraid of attacks from each other.
- The colonies which became independent were under fear of conversion of Cold War into a Hot War.
- The newly independent African and Asian countries were more worried about the prospect of military conflict with neighboring countries.
- They were worried about internal threats from separatist movements which wanted to form independent countries.
Traditional Security and Cooperation
- It is universally accepted that war can takes place for the right reasons, primarily self-defense or to protect other people from genocide.
- Traditional views of security also give importance to other forms of cooperation like disarmament, arms control and confidence building.
- Disarmament requires all states to give up certain kinds of weapons.
- Arms control regulates the acquisition or development of weapons, e.g. United States and Soviet Union signed a number of other arms control treaties.
- Confidence building means a process in which countries share ideas and information with their rivals.
- Force is both the principle threat to security and the principle means of achieving security in traditional security.
Non-Traditional Notions
- The non-traditional notions of security go beyond military threats to include a wide range of threats and dangers affecting the condition of human existence.
- Non-traditional views of security have been called ‘human security’ or ‘global security’.
- By human security we mean the protection of people more than the protection of states.
- Proponents (supporters) of the ‘narrow concept’ of human security focus on violent threats to individuals.
- On the other hand, proponents of the ‘broad concept’ of human security argue that the threat agenda should include hunger, disease and natural disaster.
- The idea of global security emerged in the 1990s in response to the global nature of threats such as global warming, AIDS and so on.
New Sources of Threats
- Some new sources of threats have emerged about which the world is concerned to a large extent. These include terrorism, human rights, global poverty, migration and health epidemics.
- Terrorism refers to political violence that targets civilians deliberately and indiscriminately.
- There are three types of human rights. The first is political rights, second is economic and social rights and the third type is the rights of colonized people.
- Another type of insecurity is global poverty. Rich states are becoming richer whereas poor states are getting poorer.
- Poverty in the South has also led to large scale migration to seek a better life, especially better economic opportunities, in the North.
- Health epidemics such as H1V-AIDS, bird flu and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have been increasing across countries through migration.
- It is important to understand that the expansion of the concept of security does not mean to include everything.
- To qualify as a security problem, an issue must share a minimum common criterion.
- Cooperative Security Dealing with certain issues of security require cooperation rather than military confrontation. Military help can be taken to deal with terrorism but it will be of no use in dealing with issues like poverty, migration and so on.
- It becomes important to devise strategies that involve international cooperation which can be bilateral, regional, continental or global.
- Cooperative security may also involve a variety of other players, both international and national.
- But cooperative security may also involve the use of force as a last resort. The international community may have to sanction the use of force to deal with dictatorship.
India’s Security Strategy
- Indian’s security strategy depends upon four broad components Strengthening the military capabilities is the first component of India’s security strategy because India has been involved in conflicts with its neighbors.
- The second component of India’s security strategy has been to strengthen international norms and international institutions to protect its security interests.
- The third important component of India’s security strategy is geared towards meeting security challenges within the country.
- The fourth component is to develop its economy in a way that the vast mass of citizens is lifted out of poverty and misery.
Terrorism
- Terrorism refers to systematic use of brutal violence that creates an atmosphere of fear in society.
- It is used for many purposes, very prominently the politico-religious purposes.
- There could be three broad meanings of terrorism:
- A systematic use of terror, often violent, especially as a means of coercion.
- Violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror); are perpetrated for a religious, political or, ideological goal; and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians).
- Acts of unlawful violence and war.
- There is not a single nation in the world that does not suffer from terrorism.
- Although some countries have tried to divide terrorism into good and bad terrorism, India has always denied this distinction.
WORDS THAT MATTER
- Security: An essence for existence of human life to protect from threats either external or internal.
- Arms Control: It regulates acquisition of weapon.
- Disarmament: It bounds states to give up certain kinds of weapons to avoid mass destruction.
- Confidence building: A process in which different countries share ideas and information with rival countries by intimating each other about their military plans.
- Global Poverty: It refers to a country to be suffered from low incomes and less economic growth to be categorized as least developed or developing countries.
- Migration: It is the movement of human resources from one state to another due to some particular reasons.
IMPORTANT ABBREVIATIONS
- BWC: Biological Weapons Convention
- CWC: Chemical Weapons Convention
- ABM: Anti-Ballistic Missile
- START: Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
- NPT: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
- SALT: Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
- SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
- CBMS: Confidence Building Measures
- NIEO: New International Economic Order
- IMF: International Monetary Fund
📚 Why NCERT Solutions for Class 12th Political Science ✨
Political Science is not just about learning story or writing essays—it’s about developing an appreciation for stories, poems, and ideas. 🌈 Our solutions help students understand moral lessons, improve reading comprehension, and build their vocabulary. 📖 Each chapter’s summary and answers are explained in a way that’s easy to follow, making exam preparation a breeze! 🌟
Clear Your Doubts with CBSEJanta.com 🔍
Visit CBSEJanta.com to access detailed solutions for every chapter in your Class 12 Political Science textbook! 📚 These solutions not only help you answer questions but also enhance your overall understanding of stories and grammar concepts. 💡
Download Our App for Easy Access 📱
Want to study on the go? 🚀 Download our app for instant access to Class 12 Political Science NCERT solutions, practice questions, and much more! Whether at home or traveling, you can easily prepare for your exams and boost your English skills with CBSEJanta.com. 🌍
Always Thinks for Students ❤️
“Excel in Class 12th Political Science with CBSEJanta.com! 🌟 Get FREE NCERT solutions for Honeysuckle and A Pact with the Sun. Visit CBSEJanta.com now or download our app for instant access to solutions and extra practice!” 📲