KSLU Solved Question Papers
Political Science (International Relations and Organisation)
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 4
2015 Dec (70 marks) Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 4 Political Science (International Relations and Organisation) 2015 Dec (70 marks) Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by Karnataka State Law University at the 2015 Dec (70 marks) examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2015 Dec (70 marks) examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2015 Dec (70 marks) examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 2½ hours · Total marks 70 · 12 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1Define Nationalism. What are the merits and demerits of Nationalism ?[10]
Answer
For full marks, cover: definitions of nationalism (Gellner, 1983: "a political principle"; Kohn: "a state of mind"; Mill, 1861, on nations and the boundaries of governments; a plain-words definition) and its essential ideas; its merits, sorted by whom they serve: (A) the people (dignity, identity, sacrifice), (B) the state (independence, unity, democracy; Mazzini's Young Italy, 1831; India's freedom struggle), (C) culture and economy (language and arts; the language movement of 21 February 1952; self-reliance), (D) the world (decolonisation, resolution 1514, 51 to 193 UN members); its demerits, sorted by where they strike: (E) inside the state (persecution of minorities, the Nuremberg laws of 1935; intolerance and dictatorship; break-up of states, Yugoslavia, 1991), (F) between states (aggression and war, Sarajevo, 1914; militarism; economic nationalism of the 1930s; obstruction of co-operation); how to keep the merits and avoid the demerits (civic nationalism; India's Constitution); a conclusion.
Definition of nationalism
Ernest Gellner opened his book Nations and Nationalism (1983) with a well-known definition: "Nationalism is primarily a political principle, which holds that the political and the national unit should be congruent." In other words, each nation should have its own state. Hans Kohn called nationalism first and foremost "a state of mind", a feeling of loyalty to one's nation. J. S. Mill had argued in 1861 that "it is in general a necessary condition of free institutions that the boundaries of governments should coincide in the main with those of nationalities".
In plain words, nationalism is the love of one's nation joined to the demand that it be free, united and governed by its own people. It has three essential ideas:
- the people form a nation with a shared identity;
- the nation has the right to govern itself;
- loyalty to the nation comes before other political loyalties.
Merits of nationalism
A. For the people
- Dignity and identity. Nationalism gives people pride in who they are and a sense of belonging to a community larger than family or caste.
- Sacrifice for the common good. It inspires citizens to serve their country and, when needed, to defend it.
B. For the state
- Independence. Nationalism is the force that freed nations from foreign rule. Giuseppe Mazzini founded Young Italy in July 1831 to work for a free and united Italy. India's freedom struggle, led from 1885 by the Indian National Congress, won independence in 1947.
- Unity. It binds regions, classes and religions into one political community. India's nationalism united a people of many languages and faiths.
- Democracy. If the nation is sovereign, power must rest on the consent of the people, not on a king or a foreign ruler.
C. For culture and the economy
- Cultural revival. Nationalism revives languages, literature, arts and history. The language movement in Dhaka, where police fired on protesters on 21 February 1952, shows how deeply people value their mother tongue. UNESCO later proclaimed 21 February International Mother Language Day.
- Self-reliance. National pride encourages efforts to build industry, science and education at home.
D. For the world
- A world of free nations. Nationalism ended colonial empires. The General Assembly declared in resolution 1514 of 1960 that "All peoples have the right to self-determination". UN membership grew from 51 states in 1945 to 193 today.
Demerits of nationalism
E. Inside the state
- Persecution of minorities. Where the nation is defined by race or religion, others are treated as outsiders. The Nazi regime announced the Nuremberg race laws on 15 September 1935, stripping Jews of German citizenship.
- Intolerance and dictatorship. In the name of the nation, critics are called traitors, freedoms are curbed and power is concentrated in a leader.
- Break-up of states. The demand that every nationality have its own state can tear multinational states apart. Slovenia and Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia on 25 June 1991, and years of war followed.
F. Between states
- Aggression and war. Extreme nationalism seeks territory and glory by force. The assassination at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 by a Bosnian Serb nationalist set off the First World War. Hitler's nationalism led to the Second.
- Militarism. Armies are glorified, arms races follow and money is diverted from welfare.
- Economic nationalism. High tariffs and closed markets, as in the 1930s, deepened the Great Depression and hurt every country.
- Obstruction of co-operation. Nationalist governments resist international law and organisations, weakening the common action that peace and global problems need.
Keeping the merits, avoiding the demerits
The difference lies between civic and ethnic nationalism. Civic nationalism rests on shared citizenship and values and is open to all citizens. Ethnic or extreme nationalism rests on descent or religion and turns against outsiders. India's Constitution chooses the civic form. Its Preamble promotes "FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation". Article 51 directs the State to "maintain just and honourable relations between nations". Love of country and respect for other nations can then go together.
Conclusion. In Gellner's words, nationalism is the principle that the political and the national unit should be congruent. In Kohn's, it is a state of mind of loyalty to the nation. Its merits are dignity and identity, independence, unity, democracy, cultural revival, self-reliance and a world of free nations. Its demerits, in its extreme form, are persecution, intolerance, the break-up of states, aggression, militarism, economic warfare and obstruction of co-operation. History shows both faces, from India's freedom struggle to the wars of 1914 and 1939. Civic nationalism, as in India's Constitution, keeps the merits while guarding against the dangers.
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