NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Political Science Contemporary World Politics Chapter 5: Security in the Contemporary World

Chapter at a glance

Exercises

Answer

i–b, ii–d, iii–c, iv–a.

Answer

a – non-traditional; b – non-traditional (not a threat if regulated); c – traditional; d – not a threat; e – not a threat.

Answer

Alliances belong to the traditional category – they are coalitions of states to deter or defend against military attack (e.g. NATO).

Traditional security protects the state from military threats by military means; non-traditional security protects people and humanity from wider threats such as terrorism, disease, poverty and environmental harm; alliances are a traditional security measure.

Answer

Thus people in the Third World face more numerous and more serious security threats, both traditional and non-traditional.

First World countries face mainly external threats (war, terrorism) with internal security largely assured; Third World countries face both external and internal threats (secession, civil war) plus poverty, disease and disasters.

Answer

Terrorism is a non-traditional threat. It is political violence that targets civilians deliberately and indiscriminately to create fear, often by non-state actors across borders, and it threatens human security and global security. States cannot deal with it by conventional military means alone (deterrence or balance of power do not work). It requires international cooperation, intelligence sharing and addressing root causes. (Some argue it also has traditional aspects when state-sponsored.)

Terrorism is a non-traditional threat – violence by often non-state actors against civilians that cannot be handled by conventional military methods alone and needs international cooperation.

Answer

1. Surrender – give in to the enemy without fighting.
2. Deterrence – prevent the other side from attacking by threatening to impose unacceptable costs (preventing war).
3. Defence – limiting or ending the war if it occurs, protecting itself.
4. (Along with) Balance of power and alliance building to increase strength.

Surrender, deterrence (preventing attack by threatening heavy costs) or defence (fighting to limit and end the war), supported by balance of power and alliances.

Answer

Balance of power is a situation in which no single country or group of countries is so powerful that it can dominate others. States try to maintain a balance with potential rivals, so that the strong do not attack the weak.

How achieved

1. Building military power – increasing defence capabilities.
2. Economic and technological power – the basis of military strength.
3. Forming alliances with other countries to counter a powerful rival.
4. Diplomacy and changing alignments.

Balance of power is a situation where no state is strong enough to dominate others; states achieve it by building military, economic and technological strength and forming alliances.

Answer

Objectives

1. Deter or defend against military attack by pooling strength.
2. Balance the power of a rival state or bloc.
3. Collective security – an attack on one is treated as an attack on all.
4. Military cooperation – joint exercises, sharing technology and intelligence.

Alliances are based on national interests and may change when interests change.

Example – NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, 1949)

• formed by the USA, Canada and West European countries (now 32 members);
• objective: collective defence – Article 5 says an armed attack on one member is an attack on all;
• originally to contain Soviet expansion; now also deals with terrorism, crisis management and cyber security, and the security of Eastern Europe.

Alliances aim to deter or defend against attack, balance a rival’s power and ensure collective security; e.g. NATO (1949) provides collective defence – an attack on one member is an attack on all – originally against the USSR, now also against terrorism and other threats.

Answer

Yes. Environmental degradation is a major non-traditional (global) security threat:

1. Global warming and climate change – rising sea levels threaten low-lying countries (Maldives, Bangladesh) and coastal cities; extreme weather causes disasters.
2. Food and water insecurity – droughts, desertification and depletion of groundwater threaten livelihoods.
3. Conflicts over resources – disputes over water (rivers), oil and minerals can lead to wars.
4. Health threats – pollution and the spread of diseases.
5. Environmental refugees – displacement of people creates migration pressures and tensions.
6. Loss of biodiversity and damage to ecosystems.

Since these threats cross borders, no country can tackle them alone; they require global cooperation (UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement).

Yes – climate change, rising seas, droughts, water and food scarcity, resource conflicts, health hazards and environmental refugees threaten human and global security, and need global cooperation.

Answer

1. New threats are non-military – terrorism, cyber attacks, epidemics, climate change, poverty and migration cannot be deterred or defeated by nuclear weapons.
2. Non-state actors – terrorist groups have no fixed territory to target; deterrence does not work against them.
3. Internal conflicts – ethnic and secessionist conflicts cannot be solved by nuclear weapons.
4. Unusable weapons – their use would cause mass destruction, including to the user’s own region (radioactive fallout); they are weapons of last resort.
5. Risk of proliferation – nuclear material may fall into the hands of terrorists, creating a new threat.
6. Costs – resources spent on nuclear arms could be used for development and human security.

So nuclear weapons may deter attacks by other states, but they offer little protection against contemporary security threats.

Nuclear weapons may deter attacks by states, but they are useless against today’s main threats – terrorism by non-state actors, internal conflicts, cyber threats, epidemics and climate change – and their use would be catastrophic, while their spread itself creates new dangers.

Answer

India has given priority to both, but historically traditional security has received high priority, because of conflicts with neighbours:

Traditional security

• Wars with Pakistan (1947–48, 1965, 1971, Kargil 1999) and China (1962).
• Nuclear tests (1974, 1998) and a credible minimum deterrent.
• Large defence budget and modernisation of the armed forces.
• Dealing with internal threats – insurgency in the North-East, militancy in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, Naxalism.

Non-traditional security is also emphasised:

• Economic development to remove poverty and inequality (planning, welfare schemes).
• Health security – polio eradication, COVID-19 vaccination.
• Environment – participation in the Paris Agreement, International Solar Alliance.
• Counter-terrorism cooperation, disaster management (NDMA), food security (National Food Security Act).
• Strengthening international norms – disarmament proposals, UN peacekeeping.

India’s security strategy thus combines military strength, international norms and institutions, and development to meet internal and human security needs.

Traditional security has had high priority (wars with Pakistan and China, nuclear tests, defence modernisation, internal insurgencies), but India also pursues non-traditional security through poverty removal, health, environment, disaster management, food security and counter-terrorism cooperation.

Answer

(The cartoon by Ares, Cagle Cartoons, links the “war on terror” with the spread of terrorism – suggesting that waging war to fight terrorism may itself breed more terrorism.)

Note (in favour of the connection): The US-led “global war on terror” after 9/11 – the invasions of Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003) – shows that war can fuel terrorism rather than end it. Military action caused large civilian casualties, destroyed state institutions and created anger and power vacuums, which terrorist groups such as ISIS exploited for recruitment. Terrorism spread to new regions. Terrorism is a non-traditional threat rooted in political grievances, poverty and extremism; it cannot be eliminated by conventional war alone. It needs international cooperation, intelligence, law enforcement, addressing root causes and respecting human rights. Hence the cartoon rightly suggests that war and terrorism can feed each other in a vicious circle.

The cartoon suggests that the war on terror breeds more terrorism; this is largely true – wars in Afghanistan and Iraq caused civilian suffering and power vacuums that terrorists exploited, so terrorism must be fought through cooperation, intelligence and tackling root causes rather than war alone.

Topic checklist

• ☒ Traditional security – deterrence, defence, balance of power, alliances (Q 1, 3, 6–8)
• ☒ Non-traditional security – terrorism, environment, health (Q 2, 5, 9, 12)
• ☒ Third World vs First World threats (Q 4)
• ☒ Nuclear weapons and India’s security strategy (Q 10, 11)

Total questions answered: 12 of 12