CDS Polity · World Polity, Democracy and International Relations
Foreign Policy and Regional Groupings
India's foreign policy from Nehru's non-alignment to the Gujral Doctrine, and the regional groups CDS asks about: SAARC, BIMSTEC, Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, ASEAN, BRICS, the SCO and the OIC.
Why this matters
Thirteen CDS questions: three EASY, nine MODERATE and one HARD. Most ask who the members are, where a group was founded or sits, or when it was formed. SAARC came up twice (CDS 2019 (II) and 2026 (I)). Membership changes, so every list here says the year it holds for.
Concept 1 of 3: Non-alignment, Panchsheel and the Gujral Doctrine
Newly free India chose not to join either Cold War bloc. Nehru built friendships with the other new nations of Asia and Africa instead, and that idea grew into the Non-Aligned Movement. Later prime ministers kept the aim of good relations, and Gujral turned it towards the neighbours.
Definition
In time order:
- 1947: Nehru hosts the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi. Afro-Asian solidarity becomes a founding idea of India's foreign policy.
- 1954: Panchsheel, the five principles in the India and China agreement: mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.
- 1955: the Afro-Asian conference at Bandung, Indonesia.
- 1961: the first Non-Aligned Movement summit at Belgrade. Its founding leaders: Nehru (India), Nasser (Egypt), Tito (Yugoslavia), Sukarno (Indonesia) and Nkrumah (Ghana). Fidel Castro became prominent later; Cuba hosted the 1979 summit.
- 1996: the Gujral Doctrine of I. K. Gujral: India gives to its smaller South Asian neighbours without asking for an equal return (non-reciprocity), to build trust in the region.
| Year | Event | Leader |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Asian Relations Conference, New Delhi | Jawaharlal NehruQ CDS 2019 (I): Afro-Asian solidarity in India's foreign policy began with Nehru. |
| 1954 | Panchsheel agreement with China | Nehru and Zhou Enlai |
| 1955 | Afro-Asian conference, Bandung | Asian and African leaders |
| 1961 | First NAM summit, Belgrade | Nehru, Nasser, Tito, Sukarno, Nkrumah |
| 1979 | NAM summit, Havana | Fidel Castro |
| 1996 | Gujral Doctrine | I. K. GujralQ |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2023 · CDS (I) 2023 — General Knowledge · Q111Moderate
Example 1 · World Polity, Democracy and International Relations · Foreign Policy and Regional Groupings
Who among the following was not in the core leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in its formative phase?
Castro was not a founder of NAM
The founding leaders at Belgrade in 1961 were Nehru, Nasser, Tito, Sukarno and Nkrumah. Fidel Castro led the movement later, when Cuba hosted the 1979 summit.
The Gujral Doctrine is about neighbours
It is a foreign policy idea: be generous to smaller neighbours to build trust. It has nothing to do with insurgent groups or food security at home.
Concept 2 of 3: SAARC, BIMSTEC and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation
India belongs to three neighbourhood groups that overlap. SAARC is South Asia, Pakistan included. BIMSTEC joins the Bay of Bengal countries, with Myanmar and Thailand but without Pakistan. Mekong-Ganga links India to the five Mekong river countries.
Definition
The three groups (members as of 2026):
- SAARC: founded at Dhaka on 8 December 1985 by seven States: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan joined in 2007 as the eighth. Its Secretariat is at Kathmandu.
- BIMSTEC: set up by the Bangkok Declaration of 1997. Seven members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand; Pakistan is not one. Its Secretariat is at Dhaka. Under its 2022 Charter each member leads a sector: India leads security, Thailand leads connectivity.
- Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC): launched at Vientiane in 2000. India with Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
| Group | Founded | Members | Remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAARC | Dhaka, 1985 | 8: the 7 founders plus Afghanistan (2007) | Secretariat at KathmanduQ CDS 2019 (II): SAARC was founded at Dhaka; Kathmandu is only its Secretariat. |
| BIMSTEC | Bangkok, 1997 | 7: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand | Secretariat at Dhaka; Pakistan is not a memberQ CDS 2026 (I): a list that put Pakistan among the members was the wrong statement. |
| Mekong-Ganga Cooperation | Vientiane, 2000 | 6: India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam | Named after the Mekong and the GangaQ |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (I) 2026 — General Knowledge · Q42Moderate
Example 2 · World Polity, Democracy and International Relations · Foreign Policy and Regional Groupings
Which of the following countries were the founding members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), established in 1985 ?
1. India
2. Nepal
3. Maldives
4. Afghanistan
Select the answer using the codes given below :
Founded at Dhaka, run from Kathmandu
SAARC's Charter was adopted at the Dhaka summit of 1985. Kathmandu is where its Secretariat sits, not where it was founded.
Pakistan is in SAARC, not in BIMSTEC
BIMSTEC's seven members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Leaving out Pakistan is one reason India has leaned on it.
Concept 3 of 3: ASEAN, BRICS, the SCO, the OIC and other blocs
For each bloc CDS wants one or two hard facts: who started it, where it sits, when it began, and who has joined since. Learn the founding year and the latest change for each.
Definition
The blocs:
- ASEAN: founded by the Bangkok Declaration of 8 August 1967 (kept as ASEAN Day). Motto: One Vision, One Identity, One Community. The chair rotates every year in the alphabetical order of members' English names; there is no vote. Secretariat at Jakarta. Ten members until Timor-Leste joined as the eleventh in 2025.
- BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China (first summit 2009) and South Africa (joined 2010): five major emerging economies. From January 2024 Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined, and Indonesia in January 2025.
- New Development Bank: set up by the five BRICS countries (agreement of 2014), headquarters at Shanghai.
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): founded 2001. India and Pakistan became members in 2017, Iran in July 2023 and Belarus in 2024. Its Charter aims at a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic order.
- Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): founded 1969, 57 members, Secretariat at Jeddah. It is the second largest intergovernmental body after the UN, and has consultative relations with the UN.
- Founding years: APEC 1989 (Canberra), European Union 1993 (Maastricht Treaty), Free Trade Area of the Americas 1994 (proposed at Miami; never completed).
| Group | Founded | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| ASEAN | 1967, Bangkok | Chair rotates alphabetically; Secretariat Jakarta; 11 members since 2025 |
| APEC | 1989, Canberra | Asia-Pacific Economic CooperationQ CDS 2025 (II): matched with EU 1993, ASEAN 1967 and FTAA 1994. |
| European Union | 1993, Maastricht Treaty | Created when the treaty took effect |
| BRICS | 2009 (as BRIC) | Five emerging economies until it grew in 2024 and 2025Q CDS 2022 (I): 'a group of five major emerging economies', true when asked. |
| New Development Bank | 2014 agreement | Founded by the five BRICS; headquarters ShanghaiQ |
| SCO | 2001, Shanghai | India and Pakistan 2017, Iran 2023, Belarus 2024Q |
| OIC | 1969 | 57 members; Secretariat Jeddah; second largest after the UNQ CDS 2019 (II): calling it the largest intergovernmental body was the wrong statement. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2023 · CDS (II) 2023 — General Knowledge · Q56Moderate
Example 3 · World Polity, Democracy and International Relations · Foreign Policy and Regional Groupings
Which of the following statements about ASEAN are correct ?
1. The Chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States.
2. The Chairmanship is decided by voting among the Member States.
3. "One Vision, One Identity, One Community" is the ASEAN motto.
4. 12th August is celebrated as ASEAN Day.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
The OIC is second largest, not largest
With 57 members the OIC is the largest intergovernmental body after the United Nations, which has 193.
ASEAN Day is 8 August
The Bangkok Declaration was signed on 8 August 1967, so that is ASEAN Day. 12 August is International Youth Day.
BRICS is no longer five
It was five from 2010 to 2023. Four countries joined in January 2024 and Indonesia in January 2025, so an older question's 'group of five' was true only for its year.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Non-alignment, Panchsheel and the Gujral Doctrine6 rows
| Year | Event | Leader |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Asian Relations Conference, New Delhi | Jawaharlal NehruQ CDS 2019 (I): Afro-Asian solidarity in India's foreign policy began with Nehru. |
| 1954 | Panchsheel agreement with China | Nehru and Zhou Enlai |
| 1955 | Afro-Asian conference, Bandung | Asian and African leaders |
| 1961 | First NAM summit, Belgrade | Nehru, Nasser, Tito, Sukarno, Nkrumah |
| 1979 | NAM summit, Havana | Fidel Castro |
| 1996 | Gujral Doctrine | I. K. GujralQ |
SAARC, BIMSTEC and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation3 rows
| Group | Founded | Members | Remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAARC | Dhaka, 1985 | 8: the 7 founders plus Afghanistan (2007) | Secretariat at KathmanduQ CDS 2019 (II): SAARC was founded at Dhaka; Kathmandu is only its Secretariat. |
| BIMSTEC | Bangkok, 1997 | 7: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand | Secretariat at Dhaka; Pakistan is not a memberQ CDS 2026 (I): a list that put Pakistan among the members was the wrong statement. |
| Mekong-Ganga Cooperation | Vientiane, 2000 | 6: India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam | Named after the Mekong and the GangaQ |
ASEAN, BRICS, the SCO, the OIC and other blocs7 rows
| Group | Founded | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| ASEAN | 1967, Bangkok | Chair rotates alphabetically; Secretariat Jakarta; 11 members since 2025 |
| APEC | 1989, Canberra | Asia-Pacific Economic CooperationQ CDS 2025 (II): matched with EU 1993, ASEAN 1967 and FTAA 1994. |
| European Union | 1993, Maastricht Treaty | Created when the treaty took effect |
| BRICS | 2009 (as BRIC) | Five emerging economies until it grew in 2024 and 2025Q CDS 2022 (I): 'a group of five major emerging economies', true when asked. |
| New Development Bank | 2014 agreement | Founded by the five BRICS; headquarters ShanghaiQ |
| SCO | 2001, Shanghai | India and Pakistan 2017, Iran 2023, Belarus 2024Q |
| OIC | 1969 | 57 members; Secretariat Jeddah; second largest after the UNQ CDS 2019 (II): calling it the largest intergovernmental body was the wrong statement. |
Watch out for (7)
- Castro was not a founder of NAM→ Non-alignment, Panchsheel and the Gujral Doctrine
- The Gujral Doctrine is about neighbours→ Non-alignment, Panchsheel and the Gujral Doctrine
- Founded at Dhaka, run from Kathmandu→ SAARC, BIMSTEC and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation
- Pakistan is in SAARC, not in BIMSTEC→ SAARC, BIMSTEC and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation
- The OIC is second largest, not largest→ ASEAN, BRICS, the SCO, the OIC and other blocs
- ASEAN Day is 8 August→ ASEAN, BRICS, the SCO, the OIC and other blocs
- BRICS is no longer five→ ASEAN, BRICS, the SCO, the OIC and other blocs
Test yourself on World Polity, Democracy and International Relations
15 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 15 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.