Multipolarity

An international system structure characterised by the existence of multiple centres of power — great powers or poles — none of which dominates the others, as opposed to unipolarity (one dominant power, e.g., the post-Cold War US-led order) or bipolarity (two dominant powers, e.g., the US–Soviet Cold War). India, Russia, China, France, and the Global South broadly advocate multipolarity as a normative goal; BRICS declarations, the SCO charter, and India's own foreign-policy statements consistently invoke a 'multipolar world order' as an alternative to Western hegemony. The term intersects with UPSC GS2 topics on India's strategic autonomy, multilateral institutions, and global governance reform.