UPSC Mains 2019 GS2 Q19 — Global Foreign Policy

• What defined India's traditional role as the 'Voice of the Global South' (NAM, Anti-colonialism, Moral Idealism)?
• What are the specific features of India's 'new found role' (Realpolitik, Multi-alignment, Strategic Autonomy, G20 Presidency)?
• Evidence that India has 'abandoned' its traditional base (e.g., proximity to West, silent on certain sovereign issues).
• Counter-argument: How India is reinventing rather than disappearing as a leader (e.g., Vaccine Maitri, Voice of Global South Summit).

• Writing a generic history of the Non-Aligned Movement without connecting it to current shifts.
• Being overly critical and concluding that India has completely 'sold out' to Western interests without acknowledging its leadership in climate justice or digital public infrastructure.
• Failing to define the 'emerging global order' in terms of multipolarity and US-China rivalry.
• Neglecting to mention recent initiatives like the inclusion of the African Union in G20, which contradicts the prompt's premise.

Devote approximately 50-60 words to the historical context of India's leadership of the marginalised. Allocate the bulk (140-150 words) to the shift toward pragmatism and global power-play, ensuring a balanced view that India is rebranding rather than losing its leadership status. Use the final 40 words to synthesize how India bridges the Gap between the West and the Global South.