MAINS 2015
GS2
12.5 marks
Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India-Pakistan relations. To what extent could soft power like sports and cultural exchanges help generate goodwill? Discuss with suitable examples.
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss with examples how far sports and cultural exchanges can build goodwill between India and Pakistan.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Successes: cricket diplomacy (Zia 1987, 2004 tour, Mohali 2011), Samjhauta Express, Aman ki Asha, Kartarpur Corridor (2019), shared music, cinema, Sufi heritage≈35 words
- 2Limits: terror attacks reset ties (2008, Uri 2016, Pulwama 2019, Pahalgam 2025); bans on artists; army dominance in Pakistan's policy≈35 words
- 3Role: soft power as a confidence-building measure, not a substitute for ending terror≈35 words
- 4Way forward: people-to-people visas, pilgrim routes, track-II, while maintaining a firm security line≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Mistrust contextSoft power examplesLimitsRealistic roleConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Only optimism with no limits
- No examples like the 2004 cricket tour, Kartarpur Corridor or Samjhauta Express
Draw this
- Timeline of goodwill gestures vs terror incidents
Value addition
- ExampleThe Kartarpur Corridor opened in November 2019, allowing visa-free pilgrimage to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.MEA, 2019
- ExampleGeneral Zia's 1987 visit to watch a Jaipur Test during Operation Brasstacks tension is the classic case of 'cricket diplomacy'.1987
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 44 ↗Same syllabus reference
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