This was acknowledged by the Singapore Foreign Minister during his meeting with External Affairs Minister of India.
- Multipolarity is defined as a system in international relations where there are multiple powers exercising significant influence, contrasting with bipolarity (two great powers) and unipolarity (one dominant power)
- In a multipolar world, different regions and countries have their own interests, values, and agendas, and they cooperate or compete with each other on various issues.
Emergence of a Multipolar World Order
- Inexorable Transition of the World towards Multipolarity: Present global systems challenge post-World War II global structure of bipolarity dominated by US and USSR.
- Institutions like the UN, IMF, World Bank, created in a different era, are increasingly being questioned for their current relevance.
- E.g., Emergence of New Development Bank as an alternative to World Bank.
- Rise of Plurilateral Fora: They challenge the erstwhile western-dominated, rigid global security structures. E.g. NATO and Warsaw Pact countries.
- Plurilateral forums like BRICS+, Quad, and SCO highlight an era of flexible alignments, not rigid blocs.
India’s Maintaining Centrality in the Multipolar World Order
- India’s shift from Non-alignment to Multi-alignment: Engaging with both Western blocs like QUAD and Eurasian groups like SCO, balancing interests pragmatically.
- India’s Increasing Participation in Minilaterals: The engagements are regional and agenda specific groupings. E.g., Quad, IPEF, I2U2. etc
- India is working towards a multipolar world that revolves around a multipolar Asia.
Challenges faced by India in Maintaining Multipolarity
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