BharatNotes Deterrence
noun (uncountable; occasionally countable)Usage in a UPSC answer
India's nuclear posture rests on credible minimum deterrence and a declared no-first-use policy, signalling that its arsenal exists to dissuade aggression rather than to wage war.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
deter (v), deterred (adj), deterring (v pres.p), deterrent (adj/n), deterrable (adj)
Root
Latin deterrēre = to frighten away; de- = away from + terrēre = to frighten; + -ence suffix
Etymology
From the stem of Latin deterrēre ("to frighten away"), from de- ("away from") + terrēre ("to frighten"), with the suffix -ence; first used in English in the 1860s.
Memory Hook
Root link: de- (away) + terrere (to TERRify) -- deterrence keeps a threat away by instilling terror of the consequences. Think "deter the terror."
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
Dissuading an adversary by threatening a cost greater than any gain. Its logic has three requirements which must all hold, and identifying which one has failed is how deterrence breakdowns are analysed: capability, that the threatened response can actually be delivered; credibility, that the adversary believes it would be carried out; and communication, that the adversary understands what will trigger it. The standard typology follows from this. Deterrence by punishment threatens retaliation, while deterrence by denial makes the objective unattainable, so missile defence and hardened targets belong to the second category rather than the first. Extended deterrence covers an ally and is harder to make credible because the threat is undertaken on another's behalf. India's declared posture of credible minimum deterrence with no first use is a punishment posture explicitly, renouncing any war-fighting role for the arsenal, which is why the survivability of the second-strike capability matters far more to India than numbers do.
Don’t Confuse It With
Deterrence prevents an adversary from acting by threatening cost, whereas compellence seeks to make it do something or undo something already done, which is harder because compliance must be visible. Deterrence by punishment threatens retaliation while deterrence by denial makes the objective unachievable. Extended deterrence protects an ally rather than oneself. No first use is a declaratory policy that weapons will be used only in retaliation, and second strike is the surviving capability that alone makes such a policy credible.
Hindi Meaning
प्रतिरोध (pratirodh) or निवारण; विश्वसनीय न्यूनतम प्रतिरोध for credible minimum deterrence.
Common Questions
- What are the three requirements of deterrence?
- Capability to deliver the threatened response, credibility that it would actually be carried out, and communication so the adversary knows what will trigger it.
- What is the difference between deterrence by punishment and by denial?
- Punishment threatens retaliation after an attack, while denial makes the adversary's objective unattainable in the first place.
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