CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL CONCERNS

1. CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL CONCERNS

Democracy, human rights, environment, gender justice, terrorism, nuclear proliferation

A. Human Rights

1. Comment: Human Rights in the US foreign policy. (1992)
2. Comment: Sovereign Nation State and International concern for Human Rights. (1994)
3. “Moral claims of today become the human rights of tomorrow.” Trace the efforts in the international protection of human rights in the twentieth century. (2001)
4. Comment: Human rights and humanitarian intervention. (2002)
5. Critically examine the protection and enforcement of Human Rights under the U.N. system. (2003)
6. “Human Rights constitute the Third Generation of Rights.” Analyse the range and complex dimension of Human Rights in the globalised era. (150 words) (2012)
7. Do you endorse that the conventional discourse on human rights has failed to include women’s rights? Explain in the context of feminist theories. (2015)
8. Why does global human security need to be emphasized along with economic security? Explain with examples. (2016)
9. Critically examine the notion of “Asian Values” in the context of the on-going debates on human rights. (2018)
10. Discuss the importance of personal data protection in the context of human rights. (2019)

B. Environment & Sustainable Development

1. People are concerned about the degradation of the environment and the problems that go with it. Discuss the international response. (1998)
2. Comment: Agenda 21 and after. (1999)
3. Comment: The need for, and the hindrances to the development of a common global approach to ecological concerns. (2004)
4. Comment: Sustainable Development. (2005)
5. Discuss the different perspective on global environment that have emerged in the context of the Copenhagen Summit. (2010)
6. How far have the UN reform efforts of 2004-5, transformed the concept of ‘Sovereignty’ as a fundamental principle of International Law? Do you think that UN reforms discourse represents a ‘biopolitical reprogramming’ of contemporary sovereignty and global governance? (250 words) (2012)
7. Bring out linkages between environmental degradation and neo-corporatism in the globalised era. (200 words) (2012)
8. Compare and contrast Sino-India approaches to global Environmental concerns. (200 words) (2013)
9. ‘Global commons belong to global society and requires global attention.’ Comment. (150 words) (2013)
10. Critically evaluate the approaches of global south towards addressing environment concerns. (2014)
11. Examine the main problems and challenges involved in looking after environmental concerns in world politics. (2016)
12. The recent move of USA to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement is a setback in the consensus achieved on protecting the world environment. In this context, assess the future prospective on climate control. (2017)
13. Would you agree that the on-going debates on international environmental politics continue to be marred by a new North-South ideological divide over historical responsibility and developmental model? Illustrate your answer with suitable examples. (2018)
14. Examine the role of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other major efforts by the UN to address the global environmental crisis. (2020)
15. Narrate the various ways in which rapid environmental degradation is posing a serious threat to human security. Illustrate your answer with suitable examples. (2023)

C. Gender Justice & Feminism

1. Comment: Basic issues in movements for Gender Justice. (2005)
2. Comment: In what sense has ‘gender justice’ become an urgent global concern today? (2007)
3. Comment on the contribution of global feminism to the consolidation of global civil society. (2009)
4. Identify the role and place of Gender in the global economy. (200 words) (2013)
5. State the place of Gender Justice in global political agenda. (150 words) (2013)
6. “The Feminist approach to international politics is biased.” Comment. (2014)
7. Give an assessment of the Feminist critique of contemporary global issues. (2017)
8. Discuss the major recent social movements related to the physical rights of women in various countries of the world. (2024)

D. Terrorism & Security

1. Answer the following: “Either terrorism triumphs or civilization triumphs.” (2011)
2. Is ‘terrorism’ an essentially ‘contested’ concept? What are the different manifestations of ‘terrorism’ as a concept, and as practice? (250 words) (2012)
3. Discuss the efficacy of global conventions to combat international terrorism. (2022)

E. Nuclear Proliferation & Disarmament

1. Comment: Technology and state sovereignty over water resources. (1996)
2. What is the significance of the increasing global diffusion of nuclear and long-range delivery vehicle technology? (2009)
3. What roles do norms, taboos and epistemic communities play in the context of nuclear proliferation? (200 words) (2013)
4. Discuss the implications of the Trump-Kim Singapore Summit on the prospects of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. (2018)

F. Democracy & Governance

1. “Development in contemporary discourse has dimensions larger than just economic.” Bring out the significance of this statement. (2007)
2. ‘The struggle for democracy has been marked by bitter strife and tribulations.’ Examine the statement, illustrating the cases of Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar. (2015)
3. Is democracy promotion in developing countries a feasible idea? (2019)