Rule-Based International Order Under Strain

UPSC 2026 | GS-II (International Relations) | Essay | Ethics

The post-1945 global system — founded on international law, sovereign equality, and multilateral cooperation — is increasingly being questioned. Contemporary geopolitical trends suggest a shift from norm-driven to power-driven behaviour.

For UPSC aspirants, this theme is central across IR, global governance, security, and the essay.

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🏛️ 1. The Foundational Vision (1945)

At the founding of the United Nations (UN):

✔ Emphasis on peaceful settlement of disputes
✔ Rejection of “license to do as we please”
✔ Sovereignty seen as a universal right

Core principles:

• Sovereign equality

• Non-aggression

• Collective security

• Rule of law

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⚖️ 2. Key Pillars of the Rule-Based Order

✅ International law
✅ Multilateral institutions
✅ Collective security (UNSC)
✅ Open trade regime
✅ Human rights norms

👉 Designed to restrain raw power politics

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⚠️ 3. Contemporary Challenges

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❌ (a) Rise of “Might is Right”

Increasing instances of:

• Unilateral interventions

• Selective application of law

• Territorial aggression

• Economic coercion

👉 Perception: Power outweighs norms

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❌ (b) Sovereignty Under Pressure

Questions emerging:

• Is sovereignty conditional?

• Do powerful states face consequences?

Examples often debated globally:

• Ukraine conflict

• Taiwan tensions

• West Asian interventions

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❌ (c) Weaponisation of Interdependence

Trade, technology, and finance are used as:

⚔️ Strategic tools
⚔️ Sanctions
⚔️ Export controls

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❌ (d) Erosion of Collective Security

UNSC constraints:

❌ Veto paralysis
❌ Selective enforcement

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🌐 4. Retreat from Multilateralism

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Observed Trends:

• Withdrawal from treaties

• Skepticism toward global bodies

• Preference for bilateral / minilateral deals

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Why Problematic?

21st-century challenges are transnational:

🦠 Pandemics
🌡️ Climate change
💻 Cyber threats
💰 Financial contagion

👉 No unilateral solutions

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🧩 5. Fragmentation of Global Governance

Vacuum effects:

✔ Alternative institutions emerge
✔ Competing standards
✔ Regional blocs strengthen

👉 Movement toward multiplex world order

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🇮🇳 6. Implications for India

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✅ Opportunities

✔ Greater voice for middle powers
✔ Issue-based coalitions (Quad, BRICS, IPEF etc.)
✔ Strategic autonomy space

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⚠️ Risks

❌ Norm uncertainty
❌ Pressure to align with blocs
❌ Supply chain vulnerabilities

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🇮🇳 India’s Traditional Position

Supports:

✅ Multilateralism
✅ UN reforms
✅ Sovereign equality
✅ Rule-based order

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⚖️ 7. Legitimacy Crisis of Institutions

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Structural Issues:

• Unequal power distribution

• Veto dominance

• Representation gaps

👉 Credibility affected when:

❌ Rules applied selectively
❌ Enforcement inconsistent

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🧠 8. Key UPSC Analytical Concepts

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✅ Rules vs Power Politics

Tension between:

⚖️ Legal norms
🛡️ Strategic interests

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✅ Hypocrisy vs Indifference

Earlier:

✔ Norms violated but rhetorically respected

Now:

❌ Open dismissal of norms

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✅ Interregnum (Gramscian Idea)

Old order fading, new not yet formed →
Instability & contestation

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✅ Security Dilemma Intensification

Weakening norms →
Higher mistrust →
Arms build-ups

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✍️ 9. Essay-Relevant Themes

• “Can international law restrain power?”

• “Crisis of multilateralism”

• “Return of geopolitics”

• “Middle powers in a fractured world”

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🧠 UPSC Prelims Pointers

✔ UN founded → 1945
✔ UNSC veto issue
✔ Collective security concept
✔ Sovereign equality principle
✔ Multilateralism vs unilateralism

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✍️ UPSC Mains Question Angles

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GS-II (IR)

“Discuss the challenges facing the rule-based international order in the 21st century.”

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GS-II (Global Governance)

“Examine the relevance of multilateral institutions amid rising geopolitical rivalries.”

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GS-IV (Ethics)

“Is selective adherence to international law ethically defensible?”

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🔑 Key Takeaway for Aspirants

We are witnessing:

✅ Normative stress
✅ Institutional legitimacy challenges
✅ Rise of strategic competition
✅ Multipolar/fragmented order