In 1974, India conducted a nuclear test that is termed as a ‘peaceful nuclear explosion’. However, in 1998, India conducted a full-scale nuclear test and consequently claimed to attain nuclear capability. It was soon followed by its neighbour, Pakistan, also opting for the same nuclear route. A year later, the draft on nuclear doctrine was presented in August 1999 to the Indian Prime Minister.
The Indian foreign minister SM Krishna’s four-nation visit to Israel, Jordan, Palestine and the UAE from January 8 to 11, 2012, has been seen as the beginning of a “new approach ” in India’s foreign policy towards West Asia in general and the Arab Gulf region in particular. India has unequivocally accepted the paradigm that the relations with both Palestine as well as Israel are equally significant to its core national interests.
Indo–China relationship touched a new low when the latter unilaterally cancelled the 15th round of Special Representative-level talks between Indian and Chinese diplomats which was scheduled to be held on 5th December at New Delhi. The reason as cited by China is a scheduled speech in New Delhi by the Dalai Lama. Perhaps gone are the days of Chinese socialism because this is the expression of Bejing’s feudal mindset and its narrow-minded approach to bilateral issues.
According to Thomas Homer-Dixon, water will be the major source of conflict in the upcoming time. The contemporary scenario represents somewhat the same picture. The present era is marked by various kinds of conflicts, where resource sharing between nations is a big issue of contemplation, which further leads to disagreement.
On October 4, 2011, New Delhi and Kabul have signed a historic Agreement on Strategic Partnership (ASP) which will further strengthen the relations between the two neighbors. India is the fifth highest donor in Afghanistan with $2billion of aid and also engaged in various development projects in Afghanistan and the recent visit by Afghan President Hamid Karzai also marks the collaboration of expanding the training of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).