CBSE Class 12 Political Science Chapter 7: Security in the Contemporary World NCERT Solutions

1. Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) - (b) A process of exchanging information on defence matters between nations on a regular basis.
2. Arms Control - (d) Regulates the acquisition and development of weapons.
3. Alliance - (c) A coalition of nations meant to deter or defend against military attacks.
4. Disarmament - (a) Giving up certain types of weapons.

Confidence Building Measures aim to reduce mistrust by sharing defence information. Arms Control seeks to regulate the types and numbers of weapons. An Alliance is a pact between nations for mutual defence. Disarmament is the reduction or elimination of weapons.

1. The spread of chikungunya/dengue fever - Non-traditional security concern. This is a health crisis that affects human well-being and survival, going beyond military threats.
2. Inflow of workers from a neighbouring nation - Non-traditional security concern. While it can have economic and social implications, it is not typically a direct military threat to the state's existence.
3. Emergence of a group demanding nationhood for their region - Traditional security concern. This often implies a threat to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the existing state, potentially leading to internal conflict or secession.
4. Emergence of a group demanding autonomy for their region - Not a threat (or potentially a non-traditional concern depending on methods). Demanding autonomy is a political process; it only becomes a security threat if it escalates to violence or secessionist movements that challenge the state's integrity.
5. A newspaper that is critical of the armed-forces in the country - Not a threat. Freedom of the press and criticism of institutions are generally considered aspects of democratic expression and not direct security threats to the state's existence.

The fundamental difference between traditional and non-traditional security lies in their scope and focus:

Traditional Security:

• Primarily concerned with military threats, the possibility of war, and the balance of power between states.
• Focuses on protecting the state and its governing institutions from external military aggression.
• Emphasizes state sovereignty and territorial integrity as core elements.
• Relies on military strength, alliances, and deterrence as primary means of ensuring security.

Non-Traditional Security:

• Goes beyond military threats to encompass a broader range of issues that affect human survival and well-being.
• Includes threats like terrorism, environmental degradation, climate change, pandemics (diseases), economic instability, and resource scarcity.
• Focuses not only on the state but also on individuals, communities, and humankind as a whole.
• Requires cooperation, diplomacy, and international collaboration to address complex, often transnational, challenges.

Alliances, such as military pacts between nations for mutual defence, fall under the category of traditional security. They are a direct strategy to manage military threats and maintain a balance of power among states.

The security challenges faced by people in the Third World (developing nations) and the First World (developed nations) often differ significantly due to historical contexts, economic conditions, and political structures. These differences manifest in the following ways:

1. Military Conflicts: Newly independent countries in the Third World have frequently faced direct military conflicts, often with their neighbouring states, stemming from border disputes or post-colonial legacies. While First World nations also face geopolitical tensions, large-scale direct military conflicts between them are less common in the contemporary era.
2. Internal vs. External Threats: Third World nations often grapple with threats that are both external and internal. Internal threats can include separatist movements seeking to form independent states, ethnic conflicts, and political instability, which can be exacerbated by external interference. First World countries may face internal security challenges, but these are often of a different nature, such as terrorism or organized crime, rather than widespread secessionist movements threatening state integrity.
3. Merging of Threats: In many Third World contexts, external and internal threats can merge, making security challenges more complex. For instance, external powers might support internal rebel groups, or internal conflicts could spill across borders.
4. Focus of Security: For new states in the Third World, the primary security challenge has often been the very survival and consolidation of the state itself, dealing with wars both external and internal. For First World nations, while state survival is a given, security concerns might lean more towards global issues, economic security, cyber threats, and managing international relations.

In essence, Third World countries often face more immediate and existential threats to their statehood and internal stability, whereas First World countries might focus on a broader spectrum of global and non-traditional security issues, alongside managing international power dynamics.

Terrorism is widely considered a non-traditional threat to security. Here's why:

1. Targeting Civilians: Terrorism deliberately targets civilians and non-combatants, aiming to inflict fear and disrupt society, rather than engaging in conventional warfare between states' armed forces.
2. Political Violence: It is a form of political violence used as a weapon to achieve objectives, often by creating terror among the populace to pressure governments or other parties in a conflict.
3. Methods: Terrorist acts often involve indiscriminate violence, such as hijacking planes, planting bombs in public places like trains, markets, and cafes, which are not typical of traditional military engagements.
4. Global Impact: While terrorism has existed for a long time, its scale and global reach, particularly after events like the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre, have highlighted it as a major transnational security challenge that affects all nations, not just those involved in direct military disputes.

Unlike traditional security threats that focus on state-to-state military aggression, terrorism undermines the peace and order within societies and across borders in a manner that requires different strategies and international cooperation to combat.

According to the traditional security perspective, which primarily focuses on military threats and state survival, a state facing a security threat has a limited set of choices. These choices are generally aimed at managing or deterring conflict:

1. Surrender: In the face of an overwhelming military threat, a state might choose to surrender to the aggressor. However, this is rarely an openly declared policy, as it implies a complete loss of sovereignty and independence.
2. Deterrence (Preventing Attack by Raising Costs): A state can attempt to prevent an attack by making it clear to the potential aggressor that the costs of waging war would be unacceptably high. This is often achieved through military build-up, developing strong defence capabilities, or forming alliances that signal a united front and a willingness to retaliate forcefully. The idea is to make the potential aggressor reconsider their actions due to the anticipated high price of conflict.
3. Alliance Formation: While not explicitly listed as a third distinct choice in the provided text, forming alliances is a crucial strategy within the traditional security framework. By joining forces with other states, a nation can enhance its defensive capabilities and deter potential aggressors through collective security arrangements. This choice is closely linked to deterrence, as alliances strengthen the ability to raise the costs of war.

These choices reflect a focus on military power, state-centric defence, and the management of inter-state relations through strength and strategic partnerships.