Security policy when concerned with preventing war is called-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Deterrence
Option (1) Deterrence — Correct. Security policy that is concerned with preventing war is called deterrence. Faced with the threat of war, the government promises to raise the costs of war for the other side to an unacceptable level, so that the other side does not attack at all. It works before a war.
Option (2) Defence — Incorrect. Defence is security policy concerned with limiting or ending a war that has already broken out, by denying the attacker its objectives and turning back or defeating its forces.
Option (3) Alliance — Incorrect. An alliance is a coalition of states that coordinate their actions to deter or defend against military attack. It is a fourth component of traditional security policy, a means used for deterrence or defence, not the name of the policy of preventing war.
Option (4) Threat — Incorrect. A threat is the danger itself that security policy responds to, such as the danger of attack by another country, not a policy.
NCERT (2025-26): “Traditional Notions: External … In responding to the threat of war, a government has three basic choices: to surrender; to prevent the other side from attacking by promising to raise the costs of war to an unacceptable level; and to defend itself when war actually breaks out so as to deny the attacking country its objectives and to turn back or defeat the attacking forces altogether. Governments may choose to surrender when actually confronted by war, but they will not advertise this as the policy of the country. Therefore, security policy is concerned with preventing war, which is called deterrence, and with limiting or ending war, which is called defence. … … A fourth and related component of traditional security policy is alliance building. An alliance is a coalition of states that coordinate their actions to deter or defend against military attack.” |