Transcript India A Rissing SuperPower

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A superpower is a state with a leading position in the
international system and the ability to influence events and
project power on a worldwide scale; it is considered a
higher level of power than a great power.
Alice Lyman Miller (Professor of National Security Affairs
at the Naval Postgraduate School), defines a superpower as
"a country that has the capacity to project dominating power
and influence anywhere in the world, and sometimes, in
more than one region of the globe at a time, and so may
plausibly attain the status of global hegemon."
It was a term first applied in 1944 to the United States, the
Soviet Union, and the British Empire. Following World War
II, the British Empire ceased to exist as its territories became
independent, and the Soviet Union and the United States
were regarded as the only two superpowers, then engaged
in the Cold War.
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After the Cold War, the most common belief
held that only the United States fulfilled the
criteria to be considered a superpower.[2] The
People's Republic of China, India, the
European Union, and other candidates,
however, appear to have the potential of
achieving superpower status within the 21st
century.
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"India has moved onto a much faster growth
trajectory than the bank had previously expected,
fueled by strong and steady productivity gains in
its legions of new factories, which are producing
everything from brassieres to cars."
"India has moved onto a much faster growth
trajectory than the bank had previously expected,
fueled by strong and steady productivity gains in
its legions of new factories, which are producing
everything from brassieres to cars."
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China and India rising to superpower status is not
inevitable, according to scholars such as Professor
Pranab Bardhan, Chief Editor of the Journal of
Development Economics, who suggest that millions
mired in poverty and ineffective government prevent
China or India from rivaling the U.S. or the E.U. any
time soon.
Founder and President of the Economic Strategy
Institute and former counselor to the Secretary of
Commerce in the Reagan Administration Clyde V.
Prestowitz Jr. has embraced the notion being put forth
that "It is going to be India's century. India is going to
be the biggest economy in the world. It is going to be
the biggest superpower of the 21st century".
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Location - India, the 7th largest nation by area, lies at the north-central
region of Indian Ocean - a zone with unprecedented potential for growth
in the scale of transoceanic commerce, with many Eurasian and
increasingly Afro-Asian sea-trade routes passing through or close to
Indian territorial waters. The subcontinent's land and water resources,
though strained, is yet sustaining its massive population.
According to Lord Curzon of the British Empire:
The central position of India, its magnificent resources, its teeming
multitude of men, its great trading harbors, its reserve of military
strength, supplying an army always in a high state of efficiency and
capable of being hurled at a moment's notice upon any point either of
Asia or Africa--all these are assets of precious value. On the West, India
must exercise a predominant influence over the destinies of Persia and
Afghanistan; on the north, it can veto any rival in Tibet; on the north-east
. . . it can exert great pressure upon China, and it is one of the guardians
of the autonomous existence of Siam. Possession of India gave the British
Empire its global reach.[5]
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Big - India has the world's second largest population.The
government has attempted to control the population so as to avoid
overpopulation. Some South Indian states have slowed down their
population growth to below 1%. The PGR for the country is 1.38.
Youthful - Due to its high birth rate India has a young population
compared to most aging nations. It has approximately 60% of its
population below the age of 30. In addition, declining fertility is
beginning to reduce the youth dependency rate which may
produce a demographic dividend.In the coming decades, while
some of the powerful nations witness a decrease in workforce,
India is expected to have an increase. For example while Europe is
well past its demographic window, the U.S. entered its in 1970
(lasting until 2015), China entered its in 1990 (will last until 2025),
India won't enter its window until 2010 (lasting until 2050).
Regionally South Asia is supposed to maintain the youngest
demographic proand Middle East, with the window file after
Africa extending up to 2070s. [
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Democratic Republicanism - India is the
world's largest democratic republic, more than
three times bigger than the next largest (U.S.).
It has so far been successful, at least politically,
especially considering its functionality in
difficult ethnic composition.The fact that India
is a democracy has improved its relations with
other democratic nations and significantly
improved its ties with the majority of the
nations in the developed world.
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Energy - To reduce the energy crisis, India is
presently constructing ~ 9 civilian nuclear power
reactors and several hydro-power stations.
Recently on 25/01/2007, Russian president,
Vladimir Putin on a visit to India offered to build 4
more reactors and India is expected to clinch this
deal of strategical importance.Recently it also
made a civilian nuclear energy deal with the US
and EU.In recent years, India joined China to
launch a vigorous campaign to acquire oil fields
around the world and now has stake in several oil
fields (in the Middle East and Russia).
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Total Strength - The Indian Armed Forces, India's main defence
organisation, consists of two main branches: the core Military of
India and the Indian Paramilitary Forces. The Military of India
maintains the third largest active duty force in the world after the
People's Republic of China and the United States[111], while the
Indian Paramilitary Forces, over a million strong, is the second
largest paramilitary force in the world. Combined, the total armed
forces of India are 2,414,700 strong, the world's third largest
defence force
Army - The Army of India, as the Indian army was called under
British rule before 1947, played a crucial role in checking the
advance of Imperial Japan into South Asia during World War II. It
also played a leading role in the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Today, the Indian Army is the world's second largest army after
China's People's Liberation Army
Prepared By:
 Amin Hiren
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