Security in the Contemporary World | Class 12 Political Science Notes
By ConceptScroll Team · Published on 17 July 2026 · 4 min read
Security in the Contemporary World – this guide gives you a concise, exam-ready overview of Security in the Contemporary World from Class 12 Political Science, written by ConceptScroll editors and reviewed against the latest NCERT textbook.
TRADITIONAL NOTIONS: INTERNAL
Internal security concerns the maintenance of peace and order within a country's borders. Although traditional security focuses more on external military threats, internal security is crucial because a country cannot face external threats effectively if it is unstable internally. After World War II, many powerful countries, such as the US, Soviet Union, and Western European nations, experienced relative internal peace, allowing them to focus primarily on external threats, particularly those arising from the Cold War rivalry. However, newly independent countries in Asia and Africa faced different challenges. They confronted military conflicts with neighbors over borders and territories and internal conflicts with separatist movements seeking independence. Often, external and internal threats were intertwined, with neighboring countries supporting internal insurgencies. Internal wars have become the majority of armed conflicts worldwide, with a twelve-fold increase in civil wars between 1946 and 1991. These internal conflicts pose serious security challenges, especially for new states struggling to maintain national unity and sovereignty.
📊 Diagram: Cartoons depict the challenges of internal conflicts and insurgencies, illustrating how internal insecurity can destabilize a country and affect its external security posture.
🧪 Activity: Students are encouraged to browse a week's newspaper to list external and internal conflicts worldwide, linking theory to current events.
🔗 Connection: Leads to discussion on traditional security cooperation mechanisms such as disarmament, arms control, and confidence building.
Frequently asked questions
1. Match the terms with their meaning: i. Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) ii. Arms Control iii. Alliance iv. Disarmament a. Giving up certain types of weapons b. A process of exchanging information on defence matters between nations on a regular basis c. A coalition of nations meant to deter or defend against military attacks d. Regulates the acquisition or development of weapons
i - b: Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) are a process of exchanging information on defence matters between nations on a regular basis. ii - d: Arms Control regulates the acquisition or development of weapons. iii - c: Alliance is a coalition of nations meant to deter or defend against military attacks. iv - a: Disarmament means giving up certain types of weapons.
2. Which among the following would you consider as a traditional security concern / non-traditional security concern / not a threat? a. The spread of chikungunya / dengue fever b. Inflow of workers from a neighbouring nation c. Emergence of a group demanding nationhood for their region d. Emergence of a group demanding autonomy for their region e. A newspaper that is critical of the armed forces in the country
a. The spread of chikungunya / dengue fever - Non-traditional security concern (health-related threat). b. Inflow of workers from a neighbouring nation - Not a threat (migration issue, generally not a security threat). c. Emergence of a group demanding nationhood for their region - Traditional security concern (potential threat to territorial integrity). d. Emergence of a group demanding autonomy for their region - Traditional security concern (internal political threat). e. A newspaper that is
3. What is the difference between traditional and non-traditional security? Which category would the creation and sustenance of alliances belong to?
Traditional security refers to protection against military threats, territorial invasions, and conflicts between states. It focuses on safeguarding the sovereignty and physical integrity of a nation. Non-traditional security includes threats that are not military in nature, such as environmental degradation, pandemics, economic instability, and terrorism. The creation and sustenance of alliances belong to traditional security as they are primarily formed to deter or defend against military attac
4. What are the differences in the threats that people in the Third World face and those living in the First World face?
People in the Third World face threats such as poverty, underdevelopment, political instability, insurgency, and lack of basic resources, which are often non-traditional security threats. People in the First World mainly face traditional security threats like military conflicts, terrorism, and also non-traditional threats such as cyber security and environmental issues but generally have better resources to manage them.
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Clear NCERT-aligned notes on भारतीय राजनीति में नए बदलाव for Class 12 Political Science.
- भारतीय राजनीति में नए बदलाव | Class 12 Political Science Notes
Clear NCERT-aligned notes on भारतीय राजनीति में नए बदलाव for Class 12 Political Science.
- भारतीय राजनीति में नए बदलाव | Class 12 Political Science Notes
Clear NCERT-aligned notes on भारतीय राजनीति में नए बदलाव for Class 12 Political Science.