UGC NET/JRF EXAM, Politics Including International Relations and Studies SEPTEMBER – 2024 – (PAPER-II)

Mozambique gained independence from Portugal on 25 June 1975.

• The independence was the result of a long armed struggle led by FRELIMO (Front for the Liberation of Mozambique) against Portuguese colonial rule.

• The struggle intensified during the 1960s, in the context of decolonization movements across Africa and growing international pressure on European colonial powers.

• The Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974, a peaceful military coup that overthrew the dictatorship, hastened the process of decolonization in Africa, including Mozambique and Angola.

The 1993 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was led by Mahbub-ul-Haq, a Pakistani economist.

• He is credited with initiating the Human Development Index (HDI) and reshaping development economics to include health, education, and living standards, rather than just GDP.

• The 1993 Report focused on “People’s Participation” and emphasized democratic governance, decentralization, and empowerment as key pillars of human development.

• Mahbub-ul-Haq worked closely with Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen in framing the theoretical foundations of the human development paradigm.

In 1905, Japan defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), culminating in the Treaty of Portsmouth.

• This was a historic event because it marked the first time in modern history that an Asian power defeated a major European power in a large-scale war.

• The war was primarily fought over imperial ambitions in Manchuria and Korea.

• Japan’s victory elevated its status as a major world power and inspired anti-colonial movements in Asia, while Russia’s defeat contributed to internal unrest that later led to the 1905 Russian Revolution.

The Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) was signed on 5 August 1963 and came into force on 10 October 1963.

• The treaty was signed by the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom.

• It prohibited nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and under water, but allowed underground testing.

• The PTBT was a response to growing environmental and health concerns related to radioactive fallout from nuclear tests, and it was an early step toward nuclear arms control during the Cold War.

• Over 100 countries have signed the treaty since.

The book “Scientific Man vs Power Politics” was authored by Hans J. Morgenthau and published in 1946.

• Morgenthau, a foundational thinker in classical realism in International Relations, critiqued the belief that science and reason alone could ensure peace and international cooperation.

• In this work, he argued that power politics and human nature–particularly the will to power–are central to international affairs.

• The book challenges idealist views and lays the groundwork for Morgenthau’s later and more famous work, “Politics Among Nations” (1948).

The quoted definition refers to the classical approach to theorizing in International Relations, and is attributed to Hedley Bull, a prominent scholar of the English School of international relations.

• In his influential essay “International Theory: The Case for a Classical Approach” (1966), Bull argued that theorizing in IR should not solely rely on empirical or scientific methods, but must also draw from philosophy, history, and law, with a strong emphasis on normative judgment.

• This approach contrasts with the positivist or behavioral methods that rely heavily on quantification and scientific modeling.

• Bull’s work emphasizes moral reasoning, human agency, and historical context, as seen in his famous book “The Anarchical Society” (1977).

North Korea formally withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003.

• Though it first announced its withdrawal in 1993, the process was suspended. It finally confirmed its exit on 10 January 2003, citing U.S. hostility and threats to its sovereignty.

• This withdrawal allowed North Korea to openly pursue its nuclear weapons program, leading to its first successful nuclear test in 2006.

• North Korea remains one of the few countries outside the NPT framework, which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote peaceful nuclear cooperation.

The idea that population grows at a geometric (exponential) rate, while food production increases at an arithmetic rate, was proposed by Thomas Malthus in his famous work “An Essay on the Principle of Population” (1798).

• Malthus warned that unchecked population growth would outpace food production, leading to famine, disease, and societal collapse unless controlled through moral restraint or natural disasters.

• This Malthusian theory influenced later debates on population control, economics, and environmental sustainability, and has been revisited in discussions of global resource scarcity.

Article 99 of the United Nations Charter empowers the UN Secretary-General to bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which, in his opinion, may threaten international peace and security.

• This article gives the Secretary-General a proactive political role beyond mere administrative duties, allowing independent assessment of global threats.

• It was notably invoked by Dag Hammarskjöld during the Suez Crisis and continues to be a vital tool for preventive diplomacy and early warning.

• It reflects the principle of collective security embedded in the UN system.

The 2005 UN World Summit, held in New York, formally endorsed the principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

• R2P is a global political commitment to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.

• It is based on the idea that sovereignty is not a privilege, but a responsibility, and when a state fails to protect its population, the international community must act — through diplomatic, humanitarian, and if necessary, military means.

• R2P was a response to past failures like Rwanda (1994) and Srebrenica (1995), aiming to ensure timely and decisive action against mass atrocities.