The Concoction of Panchsheel and Panchmrit: A New Perspective in India’s Foreign Policy

Abstract

Post-1991 reforms obligation weighted on New Delhi to take a paradigm shift in their foreign policy for pragmatic approaches as India had liberalised its economy, which led to the opening of its frontier to the Global world. Now in the multi-polar Global world, the International Relations scholars question the idealistic notion of Panchsheel, advocates the need for more pragmatism in India’s Foreign Policy which coincides with the emergence of Panchamrit proposed by the National Executive of Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015, to replace Panchsheel. The study aims to understand the philosophical distinction between Panchsheel and Panchamrit, how they could be as a strategic resolve and restraint respectively in India’s Foreign Policy than ‘the debate of replacement’. In the context of concocting ‘the Panchsheel and Panchamrit’ in the external affairs relations, how could India steer with this concoction to become a stabilising power? This paper advocates for the middle path between the two and such concoction intends to bring ‘Liberal Realism’ of British School of International Relations into India’s Foreign Policy.