"Non-alignment remains a guiding principle, yet the national foreign policy also reflects traits that contrast with it". Elaborate.

=> Non alignment remains a guiding principle: i At various pluritions India highlighted its ally year of Non alignment over Bushehr were met at Dakar staged neutral, while voting for peace. ii India's foreign policy calls for its non-alignment explicitly. iii India voting against west-dominated institutions (WTO, UNFCC) which questioned its routed stance. => Traits of foreign policy which contrast with Non-alignment are as follows: i India signing all four defence agreements with USA (LEMOA, LAATSA etc)

highlighted tilted approach towards USA. ii Participation in BIMSTEC against China, shows India's obliging stance of geopolitical bent. iii India voting against west-dominated institutions (WTO, UNFCC) which questioned its routed stance. => However contradicting traits are not because of old strict alignment rather geopolitical interest in country: i [Dindayal] in his book 'The India Way' highlighted India's transactional based approach (title board), where India collaborated civil cooperate with country based on mutual interest. ii Rajiv Sikri in his book 'Strategic Constraints' have mentioned how India exercised strategic autonomy while making deals with USA defence one Russia (LNG missile), which

shows India independent approach.

— PRAJAPATI JITENDRA MOTILAL · AIR 287