India and SCO: Security, Trade, and Connectivity
TOPIC CLASSIFICATION
Subject: International Relations Sub-area: Regional Groupings - SCO Prelim PYQ Trend: Moderate (members, summits, agreements) Mains Relevance: GS-2 (Regional Groupings, Security, Connectivity)
EXAMINER REASONING
India became a full SCO member in 2017, making this a recurring UPSC topic. The examiner tests: (a) SCO as a security organisation - RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure), counter-terror cooperation; (b) India's calculus - balancing Russia and China, connecting to Central Asia; (c) economic - SCO trade, connectivity (INSTC), energy cooperation; (d) challenges - India-Pakistan tensions within SCO, China's dominance, Quad vs SCO. Expect questions on SCO as a counter to Western alliances and India's role in Eurasian geopolitics.
Core Concept
What is SCO? Shanghai Cooperation Organisation - founded 2001 (Shanghai Five + Uzbekistan). Permanent secretariat in Beijing.
Members (9 full + 3 observers + 14 dialogue partners):
- Full Members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan (founding), India, Pakistan (2017), Iran (2023)
- Observers: Afghanistan (frozen), Mongolia, Belarus
- Dialogue Partners: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Maldives, Myanmar, Kuwait, etc.
Key Pillars of Cooperation:
| Pillar | Mechanism | India's Interest |
|---|---|---|
| Security | RATS (Tashkent) - CT database, joint drills, de-radicalisation | Pakistan-based terror, Afghanistan... |
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