International Relations - Key Concepts and Events

India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy

  • Aims to manage India's relations with its immediate neighbors: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
  • Objective:
    • Enhance physical, digital, and people-to-people connectivity across the region, as well as augment trade and commerce.
  • The policy officially came into being in 2008.
  • Change post Uri attack, 2016:
    • One of the important foreign policy goals for India is to isolate Pakistan in South Asia.
    • India promotes regional groupings like BIMSTEC and SASEC and neglects SAARC.
  • Connectivity projects:
    • BBIN Initiative, Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, IMT Trilateral Highway
  • Energy security:
    • Shwe oil & gas project implemented by ONGC Videsh limited in Myanmar.

BBIN and SASEC

  • BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) initiative:
    • A sub-regional grouping.
    • Key Features:
      • Regional Connectivity: Road, rail, air, and waterways connectivity.
      • Energy Cooperation.
      • Trade and Economic Integration.
    • BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA):
      • Signed in 2015.
      • Aims to promote passenger, personal, and cargo vehicular traffic across borders.
      • Bhutan opted out of the MVA due to environmental concerns but supports other BBIN initiatives.
  • South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC):
    • A project-based partnership designed to promote regional prosperity.
    • Members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
    • Secretariat: Asian Development Bank (also lead financier of SASEC).

BIMSTEC

  • The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
  • Members: Littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal.
    • South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka.
    • Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Thailand.
  • Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh.
  • Founded: June 1997, with the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration.
  • BIMSTEC Charter came into force on May 20, 2024, acquiring legal personality.
  • Important for India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy and Act East Policy.

SAARC

  • SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985 (SAARC Charter Day).
  • Seven founding countries (Afghanistan joined later in 2005).
  • Headquarters and Secretariat: Kathmandu, Nepal
  • SAARC summits have not been held for the last 10 years.
    • Last SAARC summit, the 18th SAARC summit, was held in Kathmandu in November 2014.
    • The 2016 SAARC Summit was to be held in Islamabad but was cancelled after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri.
    • Tensions escalated after Pulwama and revocation of special status of J&K in 2019.
  • India’s approach in the South Asian region:
    • Policy of isolating Pakistan in South Asia.
    • India promotes sub-regional groupings like SASEC and BBIN.

IMT trilateral highway and Kaladan Multimodal Project

  • IMT trilateral highway:
    • Connects Moreh in Manipur, India, to Mae Sot in Thailand, via Tamu and Mandalay in Myanmar; 1360 km.
  • Kaladan Multimodal Project:
    • Connect Mizoram with the Kolkata port via Myanmar.
    • Three different stretches:
      • Shipping: Kolkata port to Sittwe port (across Bay of Bengal).
      • Inland water transport: Sittwe port to Paletwa (through River Kaladan).
      • Road stretches: From Paletwa (Myanmar) to Lawngtlai (Mizoram, India).
    • Connects to NH-502A in Mizoram at Zorinpui, located near the India-Myanmar border.

Special Status of J&K

  • March 1846, British, under the Treaty of Amritsar after the first Anglo-Sikh War, sold Kashmir to Gulab Singh
  • Maharaja Hari Singh-descended from Gulab Singh.
  • Special status of J&K:
    • Article 370:
      • 'temporary provision'.
      • permitted Jammu & Kashmir to draft its own Constitution.
      • Constituent Assembly of J&K decided which articles of the Indian Constitution should apply to the state.
    • Article 35A
      • Stems from Article 370 and was introduced through a Presidential Order in 1954.
      • prohibited outsiders from permanently settling, buying land, holding local government jobs
  • 5th August 2019: Parliament de-operationalized special status of J&K.
    • Created UT J&K and UT Ladakh

2nd Indo-Pak war

  • Three full-fledged wars between India and Pakistan.
    • 1st war 1947/48: Declaration of UN-mediated ceasefire.
    • 2nd war 1965:
      • Sino-India War in 1962 and death of India’s first PM JL Nehru in 1964 emboldened Pakistan.
      • The Pakistan Army started unprovoked war in Jammu and Kashmir since August 1965, known as Operation Gibraltar.
      • Indian Army launched an attack across the International Border in Punjab.
      • The Battle of Asal Uttar in Punjab was most fierce; Pakistan lost 165 tanks.
      • Abdul Hamid was honored posthumously with the Param Vir Chakra.
      • India established RAW for external espionage and intelligence after this war.
    • 3rd war 1971: Led to creation of Bangladesh.

Intelligence Agencies of India

  • Intelligence Bureau (IB):
    • Internal intelligence agency; Ministry of Home Affairs.
    • IB Chief: Tapan Kumar Deka.
    • IPS of Himachal Pradesh cadre (from Assam); first person from NE to head IB.
  • Research and Analysis Wing (RAW):
    • External intelligence agency.
    • Director of RAW reports to the Cabinet Secretary, who reports to the Prime Minister (no Parliament oversight).
    • Until 1968, IB handled both domestic and foreign intelligence; RAW formed in 1968 specifically for foreign intelligence.
    • RAW created in 1968 to counter primarily China & Pakistan (after the 1965 war).

Operation Meghdoot

  • Shimla Agreement, 1972:
    • After the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.
    • 93,000 PoW released by India.
    • Ceasefire Line converted into LoC.
    • Demarcation of LoC began; left unmarked beyond NJ9842.
    • In the agreed map, it was written that after grid number NJ9842, the LoC moves into glaciers.
  • Operation Meghdoot:
    • 1984: Siachen captured by India (against Planned Operation Ababeel of Pak).

Indus Water Treaty

  • Deals with Indus River, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej; basin shared by India and Pakistan.
  • Provisions of Indus Water Treaty 1960:
    • Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas were allocated to India for exclusive use.
    • Western rivers: Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab were allocated to Pakistan, but India was allowed to use 20% of the water for specific purposes.
    • Indus Commission: A permanent body was established to resolve any disputes.
  • Brokered by the World Bank.
  • Three major disputes:
    • Kishanganga project (Run of River project); Kishanganga (Neelam) river is a tributary of Jhelum.
    • Ratle project dispute on Chenab river.
    • Shahpur Kandi Dam Project on Ravi river.

SAARC Currency Swap agreement

  • Currency Swap:
    • Effectively a loan given in one currency but paid back in another currency.
    • Why Currency Swap agreements are made?
      • To help a country to deal with Balance of Payments (BOP) crisis
      • To protect a country against currency risk
  • SAARC currency swap framework:
    • SAARC members can provide credit in foreign currencies like Dollar, Euros to each other and take back repayment in local currencies.
    • The facility is available to all SAARC member countries, subject to their signing the bilateral swap agreements.
    • RBI has created an overall corpus of USD 2 billion to support other SAARC countries under the swap arrangement.
  • RBI decided to put in place a new Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement.
    • Framework for 2024-27, a separate INR Swap Window has been introduced of ₹250 billion.
    • RBI will continue to offer swap arrangement in US$ and Euro; this step will help in the internationalization of the rupee.

75 years of Communist Party of China rule

  • 17th to 19th centuries: Qing Dynasty ruled China.
  • Colonialism in China:
    • China was not colonized in the way India was.
    • During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Western powers and Japan established "spheres of influence" in China.
    • Two main parties (Communist Party and Kuomintang) emerged in China with the aim of ending imperialism and monarchy in China.
    • Kuomintang (KMT) and Communist Party engaged in civil war post removing monarchy and ending imperialism.
  • End of Civil war in 1949:
    • 1st October 1949: Communist rule in China was set up under one party - Communist Party of China.
    • Chiang Kai-shek along with his supporters was forced outside mainland China on an island - Formosa island.
  • Two Chinas: PRC and RoC
    • RoC (Taiwan) claims to be the original China.
    • PRC (mainland China) maintains a foreign policy- “One China Principle”.
  • One China Principle (foreign policy of PRC):
    • Means there is just one China i.e. Mainland China or PRC.
    • All major countries including India and the US follow the “One China principle” (only 12 small countries formally recognize Taiwan).

China’s dispute with Philippines in South China sea

  • China claims 90% of the South China Sea through arbitrary 9-dash line.
  • It has set up many short- and long-range missiles on islands of the South China Sea.
  • Disputed Islands:
    • Spratly Islands: Between China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.
    • Paracel Islands: Between China and Vietnam.
    • Scarborough shoal: Between China and Philippines.
  • Philippines registered a complaint against China in PCA (Permanent Court of Arbitration) for violation of UNCLOS in 2013.
  • PCA ruling: China’s claim on the South China Sea is arbitrary and illegal.
  • China’s response: China refused to accept the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
  • China has created many territorial disputes with other countries e.g., Aksai Chin with India, Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary region with Bhutan.
  • Such expansionist approach of China is known as its Salami strategy.

UNCLOS (United Nation Conventions of Laws on Seas)

  • UNCLOS has demarcated different zones of the ocean as far as sovereignty of countries and economic utilization of resources are concerned.
  • Different zones are:
    • Territorial water (up to 12 NM from baseline)
    • Contiguous Zone (12 NM to 24 NM)
    • Economic Exploration Zone (up to 200 NM or up to the continental shelf whichever is greater).
  • EEZ is the region till where a country can extract resources of the sea like gas reserves, oil reserves, or fishes.
  • The agreement became effective on 16th November 1982.
  • International Seabed Authority (ISA):
    • International organization established under the UNCLOS.
    • All States Parties to UNCLOS are members of ISA.
    • ISA has 168 members, including 167 member States and the European Union.
    • Gives permission to countries to explore minerals in the international Seabed (region beyond EEZ).
    • Headquarter: Kingston, Jamaica
  • India will apply for licenses from International Seabed Authority (ISA) to explore for deep-sea minerals in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
  • Some important countries were not either signed or ratified UNCLOS:
    • The US, Turkey, Israel

Tibet issue

  • Tibet: Often called “the roof of the world” due to high plateaus.
  • Culture: Tibetan language and Tibetan Buddhism - Vajrayana Buddhism.
  • Political history:
    • The Dalai Lama became the spiritual and political leader of Tibet in 1578 AD.
    • Dalai Lama is not a person but a position;
    • Tibet people call Dalai Lama is Avalokitesvara (a deity).
    • One Dalai Lama is succeeded by another after death.
    • In 1949 Communist Party of China (CPC) established its rule in China, naming China as PRC.
    • Till 1950, Tibet was independent and autonomous.
    • In 1950 China attacked Tibet and started its consolidation with China.
    • Due to atrocities and political pressure, Dalai Lama fled to India and established a seat in Dharamsala in 1959.
    • India gave refuge to Dalai Lama as a religious leader, but China saw this as interference and refraction of the Panchsheel agreement.
    • This is one reason behind India-China 1962 war.
  • US Congress passed Resolve Tibet Act, demanding the return of autonomy to Tibet; the current Dalai Lama is 14th in succession.
  • Panchsheel agreement 1954:
    • A set of Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.
      • Peaceful co-existence, Mutual respect, Mutual non-interference, Mutual non-aggression, Equality and mutual benefit.
    • Signed between Jawaharlal Nehru and Zhou En-Lai on April 29, 1954

BRI of China

  • Malacca dilemma of China:
    • In 2003 Chinese President Hu Jintao identified that 80% of China’s energy needs pass through Malacca Straits and the strait is surrounded by pro-US countries.
    • The US and India may choke China’s access through Malacca strait, leading to an energy crisis in China.
  • Belt and Road Initiative:
    • To deal with the Malaccan dilemma- started in 2013, building roads, railways, pipelines, ports to revive old Silk trade routes to connect Asia, Africa, and Europe to boost trade.
    • India has not joined BRI due to:
      • Sovereignty challenge (CPEC is moving through PoK).
      • Debt Trap (Hambantota port of Sri Lanka taken by China for 99 years in debt swap arrangement).
      • Security Threat: Notion of “string of pearls” around India.
  • Brazil - 2nd country of BRICS to opt out of BRI of China after India.

Galwan valley conflict 2020

  • Galwan conflict 2020:
    • Chinese soldiers confronted Indian soldiers in many areas in Ladakh; most violent incidents happened in Galwan Valley, where 20 Indian soldiers were martyred.
  • Pangong Tso lake:
    • Saline Lake; the Shyok river moves through Pangong Tso lake and is a Right-hand tributary of Indus.
    • The barren mountains on the lake’s northern bank, called “fingers” by the Indian Army; India claims that the LAC is coterminous with Finger 8, but it physically controls area only up to Finger 4.
  • Confrontation areas in 2020:
    • Ladakh: Galwan, Hot Spring, Pangong Tso Lake.
    • 8 Fingers of Karakoram - North of Pangong Tso Lake.
    • Naku La sector: Sikkim.

Meeting over LAC

  • LAC demarcates and separates India and China, divided into three sectors:
    • Eastern sector: Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim
    • Middle sector: Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh
    • Western sector: Ladakh.
  • Notion of LAC:
    • A large empty area and the armies of India and China maintain a gap of nearly 50 to 100 km.
  • Concept of LAC emerged after the 1962 conflict between India and China which ended with a Chinese ceasefire; India did not officially recognize this line.
  • Border agreements between India and China:
    • Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control, 1993: First formal recognition of the LAC.
    • 2013 Border Defence Cooperation Agreement: Both sides agreed not to follow or tail each other's patrols and not to use force during border patrol encounters.
  • India and China agreed to resume patrolling at key friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.