THE NEW WORLD DISORDER AND THE INDIAN IMPERATIVE

The world is in a state of
disorder. As we approach the end of the Second decade of the twenty-first
century, all about us is chaos. The rise of the East is viewed with
scepticism and fear by the West. The international liberal order is facing a
moment of crisis. With Darwinism (or the survival of the strongest and
fittest) having guided the construction and management of international
systems of governance for seven decades, it is no surprise that as sweeping
change overtakes the world, There are no longer many takers for these
arrangements. Globalization is confronted by economic nationalism. Strong
leaders are exploiting the grievances of citizens (whether imagined or real)
to discard global ideals and champion local interests. And the prospects of a
?global village?, of the world coming ever closer together, seem to be in
reversal. A zero-sum approach to development and the Securitization of growth
are creating new potential for conflict at a time when the institutions of
global governance are weaker than ever before. The new World disorder and the
Indian imperative is a major study of this new world order. In tracing the
roots of our current predicaments to the inequity of the post-war
international structure, it explains the situation that obtains at present.
The book identifies the new actors and ideas that will emerge from the
remnants of the old dispensation to script The architecture of the
twenty-first century. India, The authors argue, has a major role to play in
shaping the regimes of the future given its size, growing clout, and stake in
practically every major multilateral organization. India?s sustained
commitment to constitutional democracy and its unique identity as a
non-hegemonic global power will be central to its leadership role. In today?s
multipolar, contested, and uncertain world, India may well be the only
country with the credentials and capability to script an equitable ethic for
a new international order.