International Relations – Past Papers Analysis (CSS 2016-2020) by Aamir Mahar

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International Relations (Paper – II) 

I. Int’l Relations between two Wars

  1. Discuss the core causes of “Bolshevik Revolution” in Russia and explain its fundamental political and socio-economic impact on the Western European politics. (CSS 2016)
  2. To what extent did the regime established in Russia by the Bolsheviks represent its revolutionary ideology for consumerism, political stability, law and order and social progress?  (CSS 2018)
  3. What were the foundational principles of Nazism using which Hitler raised to power in Germany?  (CSS 2019)

II. Cold War Era

  1. Evaluate the strength and liabilities of “containment of world revolution policy” during the cold war.  (CSS 2018)
  2. Cold war is considered as one of the longest peace in great powers’ history. What deterministic factors ensured relative peace in great powers’ relations during the Cold War? (CSS 2019)

III. Post Cold War Era

  1. Critically analyze Samuel P. Huntington’s concept of “Clash of Civilizations”. Define its main characteristics and explain its devastating consequences on the different leading civilizations of the nations. (CSS 2016)
  2. Pakistan has formally joined Saudi Arabia’s led 34-state Islamic military alliance to contain terrorism and extremism in Southwest Asia. Critically discuss whether or not Pakistan participates in the newly formed military alliance against terrorism and explain its political, socio-cultural and strategic implications on the country. (CSS 2016)
  3. An analysis of the anatomy of foreign policy is an essential pre-requisite to an understanding of the dynamics of International Relations. Analyze the central theme of Pakistan’s foreign policy in the war against terrorism?  (CSS 2018)
  4. The manner in which a nation’s ideology dominates its foreign policy is constantly in confusion. Explore the relationship between capitalist democracy and foreign policy of United States of America.  (CSS 2018)
  5. World orders are established by great powers in order to serve their interests. What are the foundations of existing world order(s) and how do they serve the interests of great powers? (CSS 2019)
  6. Differentiate between Washington consensus and Beijing consensus. Is Beijing consensus a challenge to the Washington consensus? (CSS 2020)

IV. Intl & Regional Organizations

  1. Critically discuss the fundamental factors of “Greece Economic Crisis” which need huge financial assistance from European Union and IMF as a debt relief to create “a breathing space” to stabilize economy and explain out-of-the-box solution for the crisis-ridden country. (CSS 2016)
  2. Determine the factors in emergence of Neoliberal Institutionalism; highlight your discussion with practices of International Financial Institutions and Pakistan. (CSS 2017)
  3. SAARC is facing an existential crisis. How do functionalists explain the failure of SAARC as a regional organisation? (CSS 2019)

V. Foreign Policy of Selected Countries

  1. Discuss the moral imperatives of “Indian Foreign Policy” with the contending spirit of “Panchsheel” and evaluate how much it helps to strengthen diplomatic objectives of the country’s foreign policy? (CSS 2016)
  2. Discuss the “Moral Dimensions of Pakistan’s Nuclear Program”. Explain its essential features and justify its offensive gesture which maintained the national and regional strategic balance. (CSS 2016)
  3. Discuss “Nuclear Factor” as one of the major determinants of International politics with reference to USA, India and Pakistan. (CSS 2017)
  4. How do rational theories of foreign policy explain state-decision making? Discuss the tenets of the theory in light of the decision made by Pakistan in response to Saudi request of sending troops during Yemen crisis in 2015. (CSS 2019)
  5. Discuss Russia’s return to South Asia and United States’ Indo-Pacific Strategy. (CSS 2020)

VI. South Asian Region

  1. Critically discuss main political, socio-economic and strategic hurdles between “Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations” and how can both countries come out from the Cold War scenario? (CSS 2016)
  2. Evaluate the significance of conflict between India and Pakistan in global perspective   of terrorism. (CSS 2017)
  3. How can the energy Crisis of Pakistan be resolved? Emphasize your discussion vis-a-vis China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. (CSS 2017)
  4. Evaluate the significance of water conflict between India and Pakistan in perspective of Indus Water Treaty. (CSS 2017)
  5. The most compelling challenge facing Afghanistan today is, dealing with Afghan Taliban. What do you think of a political engagement and accommodation between Afghan government and Taliban giving way to stability in the region?  (CSS 2018)
  6. One of the most serious dilemmas of the South-Asian politics is the contentious relations between Pakistan and India. What measures would you consider for normalization between the two neighbors?  (CSS 2018)
  7. Comment in detail on mechanism of conflict resolution between Pakistan and Afghanistan and on Durand line issue. (CSS 2020)

VII. Weapons of Mass Destruction 

  1. What benefits India might have gained by joining Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)? Highlight possible impacts it may have upon strategic stability in South Asia. (CSS 2019)

VIII. Contemporary Issues

  1. Prepare a study in which you assess the possibility of settlement of the Kashmir conflict such as in the case of East Timor or Bosnian crisis?  (CSS 2018)

IX. Other issues:

  1. Elaborate Systems Thinking Theory in view of Pakistan and Globalization. (CSS 2017)
  2. Pakistan is one of the top 10 countries hit by global climate change trends: what can be the ways and means to manage climate change trends? (CSS 2017)
  3. What are the major prescriptions of structural adjustment and stabilisation of the World Bank and IMF vis-a-vis Pakistan. (CSS 2019)
  4. What are the multidimensional and multi faced impacts of climate change on multiple dimensions of security? Identify each, discuss and analyze under the theoretical framework of Security and International Relations. (CSS 2020)
  5. What are the four essentials of Resource Management? When does a resource become an element of power “OR” a resource curse? Discuss the Reko-Diq case in this context. (CSS 2020)
  6. Why is difficult to define terrorism? Elaborate upon the following: (a) Feminization of terrorism (b) Criminalization of terrorism (c) Commercialization of terrorism (d) State-terrorism  (CSS 2020)
  7. Explain the following diagram in the light of multi-track diplomacy. Which is the most important track of diplomacy and why? (CSS 2020)

Past Papers Analysis (CSS 2015-2020)

  1. Pakistan Affairs
  2. Political Science (Paper – I)
  3. Political Science (Paper – II)
  4. International Relations (Paper – I)
  5. International Relations (Paper – II)