India and Emerging Challenges in International Relations and Area Studies

Abstract

This article captures a bird’s eye view of International Relations and Area Studies by offering a range of ideas and arguments from diverse phases including the current phase of globalisation.  After exploring the nature of links between the two fields, it reflects on globalisation, looks at the prominent theories in international relations critically before moving on to discuss areas such as Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Further, by shedding light on inter-area relations, it grapples to find a way to define an area. By treating India as an area in its own right, it relates India to different regions of Asia. It essentially argues that scholars in India need to evolve innovative concepts and theories by doing inter-disciplinary research that are useful for knowledge building exercises as well as policy think tanks.