Indian Parliament – Shaping Foreign Policy, by senior journalist K V Prasad, explores how the parliament influences the formulation and direction of India’s foreign policy. The Constitution empowers Parliament to make laws on all matters that govern India’s relations with foreign countries. As the political composition of both houses changes, foreign policy outcomes emerge through ongoing discussions and negotiations among Members of Parliament. Drawing from years of journalistic experience, Prasad offers a compelling narrative about the gap between constitutional theory and the practical realities of foreign policy.
The author explains various procedural methods of the Indian parliament, such as starred questions, budget proposals, and committee deliberations, through which MPs influence foreign policy. The custom of discussing foreign affairs in Parliament began with Jawaharlal Nehru, who insisted on a foreign policy discussion at least once every session.
Prasad’s analysis focuses on three major dimensions: security, geo-economics, and geopolitics/strategy, each examined through key parliamentary debates. The book includes three case studies: i) India’s Peacekeeping force in Srilanka, ii) India joining the World Trade Organisation, and iii) the India-US civil nuclear agreement. These examples walk the reader through executive decision-making in both majority and coalition governments. The case studies highlight how a coalition government often faces challenges from its coalition partners due to ideological differences over foreign policy decisions.
The content and language of this book are accessible and well-researched, making it suitable for general readers as well as academics, and a significant addition to the literature on Indian political history. Indian Parliament not only maps the evolution of Indian foreign relations through a parliamentary lens but also raises important questions about accountability, transparency, and the continuing evolution of India’s democratic institutions.