Abstract:

India is an influential state in South Asia with considerably huge population, territory and military might. India has always been preoccupied with a strong desire to establish its predominance in Asia. Indian policy makers and leaders take the country’s geographic proximity with all the nations in the region as an opportunity to materialize the desire to dominate the region. India has an advantaged position in South Asia as it shares borders with all South Asia countries. It also possesses the 72 percent of the land in the region. Population wise India is the biggest nation and its economic output in the region is 75 percent. The more tangible calculation of power in terms of military capabilities also makes India the strongest and mighty state in the region. India’s military and naval forces are continuously expanding the budget and muscles in the region as well. Hence, India considers itself a legitimate primary regional force in South Asia. In last two decades, India has made phenomenal economic development and looking forward to grabbing a role of significant player in international politics. Political pundits predicting India's rise as a major event in international politics but there are contradictions as well. Many scholars advocate India’s capability of playing an important role in world politics despite so many domestic and regional hurdles. For some other scholars, massive poverty and law and order problems at home are the great concerns while the rise of China in its neighborhood is making it hard for India to realize its dream to become a power. In this background, current study is an attempt to scrutinize the claim of rise of India and the challenges it is facing.

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