Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Non-Alignment Movement
"A grouping of states not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc, founded in 1961 as a Cold War alternative to the US-led NATO and Soviet-led Warsaw Pact."
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an international organisation of states that consider themselves not aligned with or against any major power bloc. It was formally established at the First NAM Summit in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1961. NAM currently has 120 member states and 17 observer countries, making it the largest grouping of states outside the United Nations in terms of membership. Historical origins: The intellectual and political roots of NAM lie in the Bandung Conference (April 1955, Bandung, Indonesia), where 29 Asian and African nations met to promote Afro-Asian solidarity and articulate principles of peaceful coexistence. The Bandung Conference produced the Ten Principles (Dasasila) that became the philosophical basis for NAM. Founding leaders (the 'Five Initiators'): Jawaharlal Nehru (India), Josip Broz Tito (Yugoslavia), Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt), Sukarno (Indonesia), and Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana). India's concept of Panchsheel (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, 1954 Sino-Indian agreement) was a foundational idea. Panchsheel (1954): (1) Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; (2) Mutual non-aggression; (3) Mutual non-interference in internal affairs; (4) Equality and mutual benefit; (5) Peaceful coexistence. NAM criteria for membership: non-membership in multilateral military alliances (NATO, Warsaw Pact); support for national liberation movements; non-hosting of foreign military bases at the behest of major powers. Contemporary relevance: With the Cold War over, NAM has shifted focus to economic development, multilateralism, reform of global governance (UNSC reform), climate justice, and the interests of the Global South. India continues to engage with NAM but has diversified its alignments significantly — strategic partnership with the US, Quad membership, while maintaining 'strategic autonomy'.
UPSC GS2 International Relations (India's foreign policy, Cold War, Global South) and GS1 History (post-independence foreign policy). Key facts: Bandung 1955 (precursor), Belgrade 1961 (founding), Panchsheel 1954, Five Founders. India's 'strategic autonomy' doctrine is the contemporary evolution of non-alignment.
- 1 Founded: First Summit, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, September 1961
- 2 Precursor: Bandung Conference, April 1955 (29 Afro-Asian nations)
- 3 Founding five: Nehru (India), Tito (Yugoslavia), Nasser (Egypt), Sukarno (Indonesia), Nkrumah (Ghana)
- 4 Membership: 120 member states + 17 observers — largest grouping outside UN
- 5 Panchsheel (1954): Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence — basis for NAM philosophy
- 6 Core stance: not aligned with NATO or Warsaw Pact; oppose colonialism, imperialism, and foreign military bases
- 7 India's evolution: NAM → 'strategic autonomy' — partners with many, aligned with none formally
- 8 19th NAM Summit: Kampala, Uganda, January 15–20, 2024; Uganda holds NAM presidency
- 9 20th NAM Summit: expected to be hosted by Uzbekistan
- 10 Current focus: Global South interests, UNSC reform, climate justice, multipolar world
India's decision to abstain (not vote against Russia) at UNSC and UNGA resolutions on the Ukraine war (2022) reflects India's long-standing NAM-derived principle of strategic autonomy — maintaining independent positions rather than aligning with Western blocs. Critics call this 'neo-NAM'; proponents call it principled multi-alignment.
