Question

With reference to the “Look East Policy” of India, consider the following statements:
1. India wants to establish itself as an important regional player in East Asian affairs.
2. India wants to plug the vacuum created by the termination of the Cold War.
3. India wants to restore historical and cultural ties with its neighbours in Southeast and East Asia.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Hint:

The Look East Policy followed India’s 1991 economic reforms, not the end of the Cold War.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The Look East Policy question is best answered by recalling why India actually launched this policy in 1991-92.

1. Statement 1: India wanted a bigger strategic and economic role in East Asia, which is one of the documented goals, so it holds.
2. Statement 2: The policy's driver was India's own economic opening up and the search for new trade partners after 1991, not the end of the Cold War. This statement does not match the policy's real motivation.
3. Statement 3: India has long-standing cultural and historical links with Southeast Asia (through trade, religion, and migration), and reviving these ties is a stated aim of the policy, so it holds.

Statements 1 and 3 both check out, statement 2 does not.

So the correct answer is option B, 1 and 3 only.