"India's SCO Summit Address Highlights Central Asia Connectivity and Terrorism Challenges"
SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation)
Regional grouping founded in 2001 covering security, political, and economic cooperation across Eurasia.
Multi-vector diplomacy
A foreign policy approach where a state cultivates partnerships with multiple competing powers simultaneously.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was established in 2001 in Shanghai by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, making the SCO the world's largest regional organisation by geographic coverage and population. The SCO's founding mandate covers three main areas: political cooperation, security (particularly counter-terrorism), and economic collaboration. Its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) coordinates member states' counter-terrorism efforts.
India's engagement with Central Asia predates the SCO. The Connect Central Asia policy, articulated in 2012, and the India-Central Asia Dialogue mechanism reflect New Delhi's long-standing interest in the region. However, geography has been the defining constraint. The absence of direct land access, blocked by Pakistan's refusal to grant transit rights and Afghanistan's persistent instability, has kept India's trade with Central Asia far below its potential. The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal route connecting India to Central Asia and Europe via Iran, represents India's primary alternative to overland access through Pakistan.
All five Central Asian republics, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, have established strategic partnerships with India, with the exception of Turkmenistan, which maintains a policy of permanent neutrality. The India-Central Asia Summit held in 2022 elevated this relationship further, setting targets for trade and connectivity.
Central Asia occupies a pivotal position in Eurasian geopolitics. It sits at the intersection of Russia's sphere of influence, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Iran's northern connectivity ambitions, and India's extended neighbourhood. For India, the region matters on three distinct dimensions.
First, energy and resources: Central Asia holds significant hydrocarbon and uranium reserves. India's agreement with Uzbekistan on long-term uranium supply is a concrete example of translating strategic interest into economic partnership. Uranium is critical for India's civil nuclear programme, which aims to expand nuclear power capacity significantly.
Second, counter-terrorism: Central Asia shares borders with Afghanistan and has historically been a transit zone for extremist networks. India and the Central Asian states share concerns about the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan serving as a sanctuary for groups that threaten regional stability. …
A number of outside powers have entrenched themselves in Central Asia, which is a zone of interest to India. Discuss the implications, in this context, of India's joining the Ashgabat Agreement, 2018.
Critically analyse India's evolving diplomatic, economic and strategic relations with the Central Asian Republics (CARs) highlighting their increasing significance in regional and global geopolitics.
India, is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal transport corridor. This corridor will connect
With reference to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), consider the following statements:
1.India is one of the founding members of the INSTC.
2.The INSTC connects India to Central Asia and Europe via Iran.
3.The INSTC is exclusively a rail-based transport corridor.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
1.India became a full member of the SCO in 2017.
2.Turkmenistan is a full member of the SCO but maintains permanent neutrality.
3.The SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
4.The SCO was founded in 2001.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Match the following connectivity agreements/corridors with their primary transit countries:
List I (Agreement/Corridor) — List II (Primary Transit Country)
A.INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor) — 1. Myanmar
B.Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project — 2. Iran
C.Ashgabat Agreement — 3. Turkmenistan/Iran (Persian Gulf access)
D.IMT Trilateral Highway — 4. Myanmar
Select the correct match:
Consider the following statements about India's relations with Central Asian Republics (CARs):
1.India has established strategic partnerships with all five Central Asian Republics.
2.The SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) coordinates counter-terrorism efforts among member states.
3.China's Belt and Road Initiative has significant infrastructure investments in Central Asia.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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