Class 9 Political Science Chapter 7: Security in the Contemporary World – Important Questions & Answers

The 2026–27 CBSE Class 9 Political Science board exam emphasizes conceptual clarity and application over memorization. Chapter 7 sits at this intersection: it requires you to understand what security means (a definition-based skill) and then apply that understanding to contemporary issues (an analysis-based skill). The chapter introduces two frameworks: traditional security (state-centric, military-focused) and non-traditional security (human-centric, diverse-threat-focused). Examiners test these via: • 1-mark MCQs that trap students who confuse definitions (e.g., 'Which is a non-traditional security threat?' with distractors like 'border wars'). • 2-mark questions requiring you to compare frameworks or identify examples. • 3-mark questions asking for explanation with one or two supporting details. • 5-mark essays testing synthesis across multiple threats and policy responses. The rationalized NCERT syllabus for 2024–25 has trimmed some historical detail but sharpened focus on contemporary examples: COVID-19 as a security threat, cybercrime, climate-induced migration, and transnational terrorism. Boards increasingly ask 'How does India respond?' or 'Why is this a security issue?'—questions that demand critical thinking, not rote definitions. Mastering these 18 questions prepares you to handle variations and unfamiliar scenarios on exam day.

Multiple-choice questions test instant recall and conceptual precision. Watch for options that sound plausible but contradict the chapter's definitions. **Q1: Which of the following is an example of a traditional security threat?** (a) Cybercrime (b) Transnational terrorism (c) Border conflict between two nations (d) Pandemic disease **Answer: (c) Border conflict between two nations** Explanation: Traditional security focuses on state-to-state military threats. Border conflicts, invasions, and wars are state-centric concerns. Options (a), (b), and (d) are non-traditional threats that affect human security beyond state borders. **Q2: Non-traditional security addresses threats to which level of security?** (a) Only national security (b) Only military security (c) Human security and collective security (d) Only economic security **Answer: (c) Human security and collective security** Explanation: Non-traditional security widens the lens from states to individuals, communities, and global systems. It encompasses health, environment, food, and cyber domains. **Q3: Which organization primarily addresses traditional security concerns among nations?** (a) World Health Organization (b) United Nations Security Council (c) International Monetary Fund (d) UNESCO **Answer: (b) United Nations Security Council** Explanation: The UNSC deals with international conflicts, peace, and military disputes—core traditional security issues. **Q4: Terrorism is classified as a ________ security threat.** (a) traditional (b) non-traditional (c) bilateral (d) internal **Answer: (b) non-traditional** Explanation: Terrorism crosses borders, targets civilians, and is not a formal state-to-state military confrontation. It exemplifies non-traditional, transnational threats. **Q5: Environmental degradation leading to resource scarcity is an example of:** (a) Military security (b) Political security (c) Environmental security (non-traditional) (d) Diplomatic security **Answer: (c) Environmental security (non-traditional)** Explanation: Climate change, water scarcity, and deforestation are non-traditional security challenges affecting human survival and societal stability.

These questions require brief explanations or comparisons. Aim for 40–60 words per answer, with at least one clear supporting detail. **Q1: Define traditional security. Give one example.** Answer: Traditional security refers to military and state-centric threats that endanger a nation's territory, sovereignty, and borders. Examples include wars, invasions, border conflicts (e.g., India–Pakistan disputes), or military buildups. It prioritizes national defence and military deterrence. **Q2: Distinguish between traditional and non-traditional security in one sentence each.** Answer: Traditional security is state-focused and military-oriented (armies, wars, borders). Non-traditional security is human-focused and multi-sectoral, addressing threats like disease, climate change, cybercrime, and terrorism that cross borders and affect civilian populations directly. **Q3: Name two non-traditional security threats and explain why they are called 'non-traditional.'** Answer: (1) Pandemics (e.g., COVID-19) and (2) Cybercrime. They are non-traditional because they do not fit the state-vs.-state military model; they are transnational, affect human security directly, cannot be stopped by armies alone, and require international cooperation and multi-sector responses (health, law enforcement, technology). **Q4: How does climate change pose a security threat?** Answer: Climate change triggers resource scarcity (water, arable land), forcing migration and displacement. This creates competition, communal conflict, and geopolitical instability. Rising sea levels threaten island nations. Droughts and floods displace millions, destabilizing economies and societies, which is why it is a non-traditional security concern. **Q5: Why is human security considered broader than traditional national security?** Answer: Human security shifts focus from state protection to individual and community survival. It addresses freedom from fear (violence, terrorism) and freedom from want (hunger, disease, poverty). It includes health, education, environment, and economic well-being—dimensions that traditional security ignores but directly affect people's lives and societal stability.

These demand explanation with supporting details or examples. Write 80–120 words, structured as: definition/concept → reason/explanation → example. **Q1: Explain the concept of non-traditional security with reference to the threats it addresses.** Answer: Non-traditional security broadens the definition of security beyond military and state-level concerns. It focuses on threats to human security—the security of individuals and communities—rather than just nation-states. Key threats include: (1) Terrorism and transnational crime, which operate across borders and target civilians; (2) Pandemics and disease, which spread globally and require health-based responses, not military ones; (3) Climate change and environmental degradation, which displace populations and create resource conflicts; (4) Cybercrime and digital threats, which compromise critical infrastructure and personal data. Unlike traditional security, non-traditional security cannot be addressed by armies or border patrols alone; it requires international cooperation, institutional reforms, and multi-sectoral strategies (health, law, environment, technology). **Q2: How does the traditional security approach differ from the human security approach? Explain with examples.** Answer: Traditional security prioritizes state sovereignty and military defence against external threats (e.g., wars, invasions). The state is the referent object (the entity being protected), and solutions are military (armies, alliances, deterrence). Example: India–Pakistan border security focuses on military forces and weapons. Human security, by contrast, places individuals and communities at the centre. It recognizes that threats like hunger, disease, unemployment, and violence harm people more than states. Example: A farmer affected by drought faces a security threat (lack of food and livelihood) that no army can solve; it requires irrigation policy, climate adaptation, and economic support. While traditional security asks 'How do we defend the state?', human security asks 'How do we protect people's survival and dignity?' **Q3: What is the role of the United Nations in addressing contemporary security challenges?** Answer: The UN addresses both traditional and non-traditional security through different mechanisms. Traditionally, the UN Security Council handles conflicts, peacekeeping, and interstate disputes (e.g., Korean War, Suez Crisis). Today, specialized agencies address non-traditional threats: WHO manages pandemics, UNEP tackles climate change, and UNODC combats transnational crime. The UN General Assembly coordinates responses to terrorism, human trafficking, and cyber threats. However, the UN faces limitations: the Security Council's permanent members (US, UK, France, Russia, China) can veto resolutions, slowing action. The UN also lacks enforcement power over individuals for cybercrime or environmental violations. Despite these challenges, it remains the primary forum for multilateral cooperation on global security issues. **Q4: Explain why cybercrime is considered a non-traditional security threat.** Answer: Cybercrime is non-traditional because it defies the traditional security framework of state-to-state military conflict. First, it is transnational—hackers operate from anywhere globally, making geographic borders irrelevant. Second, perpetrators are often non-state actors (criminals, hacktivists, organized groups), not uniformed armies. Third, targets are not military assets but civilians' personal data, businesses, hospitals, and infrastructure (power grids, water systems). Fourth, consequences are not military defeat but economic loss, privacy violations, and disruption of essential services. For instance, a 2020 ransomware attack on Indian hospitals threatened patient data, yet no traditional military response was possible. Addressing cybercrime requires law enforcement cooperation, digital literacy, and international norms—tools outside traditional security's toolkit.

These questions test synthesis and comprehensive understanding. Aim for 200–250 words, organized with clear headings or numbered points. **Q1: Analyse the shift from traditional to non-traditional security frameworks in the contemporary world. Why is this shift necessary?** Full Answer: The shift from traditional to non-traditional security reflects changes in the nature and sources of threats in the modern world. **Traditional Security Framework:** Traditional security emerged after the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, establishing nation-states as the primary actors. It assumes threats are external, military, and interstate. Solutions involve weapons, armies, alliances, and deterrence. This framework dominated the Cold War (1945–1991), where superpower conflict and nuclear deterrence defined security policy. **Non-Traditional Security Framework:** From the 1990s onward, security scholars and policymakers recognized that most contemporary threats do not fit the traditional model. Terrorism (9/11), pandemics (HIV/AIDS, COVID-19), climate disasters, cybercrime, and resource scarcity cross borders, originate from non-state actors, and cannot be stopped by armies. These threats target civilians and infrastructure, affecting human survival more directly than interstate wars. **Why the Shift is Necessary:** 1. **Changing threat landscape**: Most deaths today result from disease, poverty, and violence (not wars). The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic killed 7 million globally—more than many wars—yet no military could contain it. 2. **Transnational problems**: Climate change, water scarcity, and migration are global issues requiring collective action, not unilateral military responses. 3. **State inability**: Armies cannot fight pandemics, cyber attacks, or environmental collapse. New tools (health systems, international law, technology standards) are essential. 4. **Human-centric approach**: Security means little if people starve, suffer disease, or lose livelihoods. Human security asks what protects individuals and communities, not just states. **Conclusion:** While traditional threats (interstate conflict) persist, non-traditional frameworks expand security to address the full spectrum of contemporary threats. Both frameworks are now necessary—nations need armies for conflicts, but also international cooperation on health, environment, and crime. This dual approach reflects the reality that security is no longer a military monopoly but a shared, multi-sectoral responsibility. **Q2: Examine the challenges India faces in addressing both traditional and non-traditional security threats. Provide examples.** Full Answer: India faces a unique dual challenge: managing persistent traditional threats (border conflicts, terrorism) while emerging as a non-traditional security leader in a globalized world. **Traditional Security Challenges:** 1. **Border disputes**: Unresolved borders with Pakistan (Kashmir), China (Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh), and Bangladesh create military tensions. The 2019 Pulwama attack and subsequent Balakot strikes illustrate ongoing traditional security crises. 2. **Internal terrorism**: Pakistan-backed terrorist groups (LeT, JeM) conduct attacks on military installations and civilians (Mumbai 2008, Uri 2016). These require military and counter-intelligence responses. 3. **Strategic isolation risks**: Regional rivalries (India–Pakistan, India–China) and balancing acts with global powers (US, Russia) demand constant military modernization and diplomatic maneuvering. **Non-Traditional Security Challenges:** 1. **Pandemics**: COVID-19 infected 45+ million Indians and overwhelmed hospitals. The healthcare system, weak in rural areas, struggles to respond to future outbreaks. 2. **Terrorism (transnational)**: Groups like ISIS-K operate across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, targeting civilians—a non-state threat requiring cyber intelligence and international cooperation, not just border security. 3. **Climate vulnerability**: India is the world's second-largest population in a region threatened by extreme weather. Droughts (2016–2018) displaced farmers; floods displace thousands annually. Rising sea levels threaten coastal cities (Mumbai, Chennai). Climate migration will create internal conflicts. 4. **Cybercrime**: India's IT infrastructure faces attacks. Hospital ransomware, banking fraud, and government data breaches (Aadhaar leaks) expose millions. 5. **Food and water security**: 190 million Indians are food-insecure; groundwater depletion threatens agriculture (Punjab, Gujarat). Population growth intensifies these pressures. 6. **Migration and inequality**: Rapid urbanization, rural poverty, and communal tensions create instability. The lack of inclusive development fuels recruitment by extremist groups. **Dual Response Required:** India's security strategy must balance traditional military spending (3% of GDP) with investments in health, climate adaptation, cyber security, and inclusive development. International cooperation (BRICS, SCO, SAARC, bilateral agreements) is critical for non-traditional threats that no single nation can handle alone. **Conclusion:** India cannot afford to ignore either framework. Traditional threats demand military readiness; non-traditional threats demand institutional reform, international partnerships, and development. The greatest risk is that focusing solely on military threats while neglecting pandemics, climate change, or cyber attacks could leave India vulnerable in ways armies cannot defend against. **Q3: 'Non-traditional security threats are more challenging than traditional ones.' Evaluate this statement with evidence.** Full Answer: **Arguments Supporting the Statement:** 1. **Unpredictability**: Traditional wars follow documented patterns; military strategists prepare accordingly. Non-traditional threats (pandemics, climate events) are less predictable. COVID-19 emerged suddenly, paralyzing economies and health systems unprepared for its scale. Military doctrines cannot prevent viral mutations. 2. **Transnational scope**: A traditional war affects a border region; non-traditional threats affect entire continents. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed 230,000+ across 12 nations—no military response possible. Cybercrime originating in Russia affects US, Indian, and European victims simultaneously, requiring global law enforcement coordination. 3. **Cost and complexity**: Addressing pandemics requires vaccine development, distribution, and health infrastructure in 195 nations—far costlier and more complex than defending a border. Climate change mitigation requires simultaneous action on fossil fuels, agriculture, industry, and transport globally—a coordination nightmare compared to traditional military alliances. 4. **Non-state actors**: Traditional security experts understand state militaries; non-traditional threats come from hackers, criminal networks, and unknown disease vectors that resist conventional deterrence. Sanctioning a hacker state is impossible; mutually assured destruction (deterrence theory) does not work against pandemics. 5. **Human cost**: COVID-19 killed 7 million (official count; real estimate higher). This exceeds deaths in most 21st-century wars. Climate-induced famines could displace 1 billion people by 2050. These humanitarian crises dwarf traditional conflicts. **Counter-Arguments:** 1. **Military conflicts still deadly**: The Ukraine war (2022–present) has killed 100,000+; Syria's civil war, 500,000+. Traditional threats remain lethal and destabilizing. 2. **Resources and attention**: Governments have military expertise, institutions, and historical experience. Non-traditional security is newer; institutions are weaker. A traditional war with nuclear weapons could be more catastrophic than any pandemic. 3. **Controllability**: Governments can limit wars through diplomacy and deterrence; non-traditional threats are harder to control but also less intentional. A conflict can be stopped by treaties; a pandemic requires biological miracle. **Balanced Conclusion:** Non-traditional threats are more *challenging* in scope, coordination, and unpredictability, but not necessarily more destructive in any single event. The real challenge is that the world has expertise in managing traditional conflicts (UN, diplomacy, military strategy) but limited institutions for non-traditional crises. The 2020 pandemic exposed this gap: despite WHO warnings, most nations were unprepared. Conversely, a nuclear war would be catastrophic beyond any pandemic. The prudent view: non-traditional threats are harder to handle *collectively* due to weak global institutions, even though individual traditional conflicts may cause greater short-term death. Both require urgent attention; the world cannot choose one over the other.

**Case Study: The 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic as a Non-Traditional Security Threat** Read the scenario and answer the questions below. In early 2020, the COVID-19 virus spread from Wuhan, China, across the globe. By March 2020, the WHO declared it a pandemic. Within a year, 2 million+ were dead; economies contracted 3–5%; millions lost jobs; hospitals overwhelmed; supply chains broke. Governments closed borders and locked down cities. The response exposed gaps in global cooperation: vaccine nationalism (rich countries hoarded doses); India's oxygen shortage (April 2021) caused deaths; developing nations couldn't afford treatments; misinformation spread faster than the virus. Traditionally, security experts ignored pandemics. The UN Security Council rarely discussed disease. Military budgets dwarfed health spending globally. India spent 3.2% of GDP on defence but only 3.2% on health (2019). Yet COVID-19 killed more people than all terrorist attacks combined in a decade, displaced 500 million workers, and triggered the worst recession since 1929. **Questions:** 1. **Identify the elements that make COVID-19 a non-traditional security threat.** (4 marks) **Guided Steps for Answer:** - Step 1: Define non-traditional security (state-independent, transnational, human-focused). - Step 2: Identify WHO is threatened (not the state as a military entity, but individuals and communities). - Step 3: Identify the source (not a state military, but a biological agent; non-state, non-military origin). - Step 4: Identify scale (crosses all borders; affects all nations regardless of military strength). - Step 5: Identify response required (not military action, but health, logistics, international cooperation). **Sample Answer:** COVID-19 is non-traditional because: (1) Threat source is biological, not military or state-based; (2) It affects individuals and communities directly, not state sovereignty or territory; (3) It is transnational—no border can stop a virus; military strength (US, Russia, China) offered no advantage; (4) Response requires health systems, vaccines, and international scientific cooperation, not armies or weapons. Unlike invasions, COVID-19 cannot be deterred by military might; unlike terrorism, it has no political motive. It exemplifies why traditional security frameworks fail to address 21st-century threats. 2. **How did the pandemic expose the weakness of traditional security frameworks in addressing non-traditional threats?** (5 marks) **Guided Steps for Answer:** - Step 1: Review traditional security assumptions (state-centric, military, deterrence, borders). - Step 2: Show how each assumption failed (borders didn't stop virus; armies useless; deterrence irrelevant). - Step 3: Cite evidence (countries with strongest militaries—US, UK—suffered worst). - Step 4: Identify institutional failures (UN Security Council gridlock on pandemic response; no global vaccine strategy). - Step 5: Contrast with non-traditional approach (human-centric, multilateral health cooperation, transparency). **Sample Answer:** Traditional security assumes: borders protect nations; military strength deters threats; states are the main actors; unilateral action works. COVID-19 shattered each assumption. Despite closed borders, the virus spread to 220 nations in months—borders failed. The US military, strongest globally, could not defeat a virus; military spending (USD 738 billion in 2019) proved useless against COVID. UN Security Council members (China, US, Russia) used the pandemic for geopolitical point-scoring rather than cooperating. Military alliances (NATO) didn't pool resources for vaccines; instead, rich nations hoarded doses, leaving poor nations vulnerable—undermining collective security. Traditional frameworks ignored pandemics; health was peripheral to security studies. The pandemic demanded non-traditional responses: transparent data-sharing (not military secrecy), global vaccine production (not competition), and human-centric policies (not state sovereignty). Nations that prioritized health (South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand) succeeded; military-focused nations (US, UK, Brazil) failed. This revealed that non-traditional threats require non-traditional institutions—global health cooperation, scientific openness, and human-centred governance—which traditional security frameworks cannot provide. 3. **Propose two policy measures India should adopt to better address non-traditional security threats, drawing lessons from the pandemic.** (3 marks) **Guided Steps for Answer:** - Step 1: Identify a specific weakness exposed by COVID-19 (e.g., weak health infrastructure, delayed vaccine access, misinformation). - Step 2: Propose a concrete policy (e.g., increase health spending, invest in vaccine manufacturing, regulate misinformation). - Step 3: Justify it with evidence from the case study (e.g., India's oxygen shortage in April 2021 showed inadequate hospital capacity). - Step 4: Repeat for second policy. **Sample Answer:** (1) **Strengthen health infrastructure investment**: Increase health spending from 3.2% to 5% of GDP. Expand ICU beds, oxygen supply, and testing capacity in all districts. COVID-19 exposed India's vulnerable health system—states ran out of oxygen, poor areas had no vaccines. A robust health system is non-traditional security infrastructure, as critical as armies for national resilience. (2) **Establish pandemic preparedness protocols and vaccine self-sufficiency**: Create a National Pandemic Response Authority with pre-positioned supplies, research funding, and trained personnel. Incentivize domestic vaccine manufacturing to avoid dependence on imports (India imports 80% of APIs for medicines). COVID-19 showed that vaccine nationalism threatened equity; India must produce and export vaccines, protecting itself and allies. This combines non-traditional security (human health) with soft power.

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**Master These Concepts:** 1. **Traditional security = state-military-deterrence**: Wars, border conflicts, nuclear threats. Addressed by UN Security Council and military alliances. 2. **Non-traditional security = human-transnational-diverse**: Pandemics, terrorism, climate, cybercrime, migration. Require international cooperation, health systems, and institutional reform. 3. **Why the shift matters**: Most contemporary deaths result from non-traditional threats (disease, poverty); armies alone cannot address them. Both frameworks are now necessary. **Exam Writing Tips:** - **1-mark MCQs**: Read all four options carefully. Distractors often use correct terminology but wrong context (e.g., 'terrorism' is correct, but if framed as traditional security, it's wrong). - **2-mark answers**: Include one clear definition + one concrete example. Avoid vague statements like 'security is important.' Be specific: 'A pandemic is non-traditional because it spreads across borders and requires health responses, not military action.' - **3–5 mark answers**: Structure clearly. Number your points. Use transitional phrases ('First,' 'Furthermore,' 'In conclusion'). Examiners give partial marks for well-organized but incomplete answers. - **Case studies**: Always re-read the case study before answering. Identify which framework applies (traditional or non-traditional). Justify your classification using evidence from the case. - **Time management**: Allocate 1 minute per mark. A 5-mark question should take 5 minutes of writing; use remaining time for proofreading. - **Exam-style language**: Use formal vocabulary ('constitute,' 'delineate,' 'assert') rather than conversational English ('is about,' 'kind of'). Boards value academic tone. **Common Pitfalls to Avoid:** - Don't confuse traditional and non-traditional. Terrorism is non-traditional (not state-military); border wars are traditional (state-to-state, military). - Don't list without explanation. Saying 'COVID-19, climate change, cybercrime are threats' earns zero marks. Say *why* each is a security threat. - Don't forget international examples. Using only Indian cases limits your score. Mention COVID-19, Syrian conflict, climate change in island nations, etc. - Don't ignore the 'why' of the shift. Simply defining both frameworks is insufficient; examiners expect you to explain *why* non-traditional frameworks emerged and why they matter now. Revise these 18 questions, internalize the distinction, and practice structuring answers. You'll approach the exam with confidence and depth that rote learning cannot provide.