This article analyzes Jawaharlal Nehru’s role in shaping India’s foreign policy after gaining independence and his justification of the principle of "non-alignment." The study examines the theoretical foundations of the non-alignment policy, its implementation during the Cold War, and its contemporary relevance. The research critically assesses the successes and limitations of this policy, incorporates scholarly perspectives, and evaluates its impact on India's geopolitical position.

non-alignment policy, India's foreign policy, Non-Aligned Movement, Cold War, sovereignty, geopolitical balance.

Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso, 2006.

Bandung Conference. Final Communiqué. 1955.

Brzezinski, Zbigniew. Game Plan: A Geostrategic Framework for the Conduct of the U.S.-Soviet Contest. Atlantic Monthly Press, 1986.

Falk, Richard. The End of World Order. Holmes & Meier, 1983.

Gellner, Ernest. Nations and Nationalism. Cornell University Press, 1983.

Gopal, Sarvepalli. Jawaharlal Nehru: A Biography. Oxford University Press, 1979.

Huntington, Samuel P. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Simon & Schuster, 1996.

Jalal, Ayesha. Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia: A Comparative and Historical Perspective. Cambridge University Press, 1995.

Kampani, Gaurav. The Nonproliferation Conundrum: India's Policy and the Global Order. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2000.

Kapur, A. India’s Foreign Policy, 1947–2009: Coping with the Changing World. SAGE Publications, 2010.

Khilnani, Sunil. The Idea of India. Penguin Books, 1997.

Kissinger, Henry. White House Years. Little, Brown and Company, 1979.

Maxwell, Neville. India’s China War. Jonathan Cape, 1970.

Mohan, C. Raja. Samudra Manthan: Sino-Indian Rivalry in the Indo-Pacific. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2012.

Mohan, C. Raja. India’s Strategic Autonomy: The Modern Form of Non-Alignment Policy. 2003.

Morgenthau, Hans J. Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. Alfred A. Knopf, 1948.

NAM. Non-Aligned Movement Declarations and Documents. Various Years.

Nehru, Jawaharlal. India’s Foreign Policy: Selected Speeches. Government of India Publications, 1961.

Nehru, Jawaharlal. The Discovery of India. The John Day Company, 1956.

Pant, Harsh V. India’s Foreign Policy: An Overview. Manchester University Press, 2016.

Perkovich, George. India’s Nuclear Bomb: The Impact on Global Proliferation. University of California Press, 1999.

Tellis, Ashley J. Striking Asymmetries: Nuclear Transitions in Southern Asia. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2020.

Tharoor, Shashi. Pax Indica: India and the World of the 21st Century. Penguin Books, 2012.