UPSC Mains 2025 GS2 Q20 — UN Reform
"The reform process in the United Nations remains unresolved, because of the delicate imbalance of East and West and entanglement of the USA vs. Russo-Chinese alliance." Examine and critically evaluate the East-West policy confrontations in this regard. (Answer in 250 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Examinecritically evaluate
- Scope keywords
- reform process in the United Nationsdelicate imbalance of East and Westentanglement of the USA vs. Russo-Chinese allianceEast-West policy confrontations
- Implicit sub-parts
- Identify the specific structural and functional UN reforms currently stalled (UNSC expansion, Veto power).
- Analyze how the Russia-China axis creates a 'New Cold War' dynamic that paralyzes the Security Council.
- Evaluate the US strategy to maintain the post-WWII liberal order against the 'East's' push for a multipolar/revisionist structure.
- Assess the impact of this polarization on global governance, including peacekeeping and humanitarian interventions.
- Common pitfalls
- Writing a generic essay on why UN reforms are needed without focusing on the specific 'East vs. West' geopolitical friction mentioned in the prompt.
- Failing to mention specific recent examples of paralysis, such as the Ukraine conflict or Israel-Palestine, where the USA and Russo-Chinese blocks are directly opposed.
- Ignoring the role of 'The Global South' as a third dimension that complicates the binary East-West deadlock.
- Over-emphasizing the General Assembly while the question specifically targets the power-politics of the P5 'entanglement'.
- Dimensions required
- GeopoliticalStructural-InstitutionalHistorical (Post-Cold War evolution)Security-StrategicNormative (Liberal vs. Sovereignty-based world orders)
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate 50 words to the introduction and context of the stalled UN reform. Spend 100 words examining the specific confrontations between the US and the Russo-Chinese alliance. Use the final 100 words to critically evaluate how this 'imbalance' prevents consensus and suggest the resulting implications for global stability, ensuring a balanced synthesis in the conclusion.
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