IRGS2

India needs a national war room for economic sanctions response

The Hindu·2026-09-18· Read original

"India needs a national war room for economic sanctions response"

Prelims Facts

  • •Secondary sanctions target third‑party firms to cut them off from the sanctioning country's financial system.
  • •The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic maritime choke point for oil and LNG shipments affecting global energy flows.
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Key Terms

Weaponised interdependence

Using control of global networks to coerce other states.

Secondary sanctions

Penalties applied to third parties to enforce compliance indirectly.

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Study Note

BackgroundCore Concept

Background

India’s external economic security sits at the intersection of foreign policy, finance and commerce. Sanctions are measures imposed by states or international bodies to change behaviour by restricting economic or financial interaction. Two durable features matter for India. First, much cross‑border trade and finance uses globally concentrated nodes: the dollar system, a handful of global banks, reinsurers and maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz. Second, extraterritorial provisions in some countries’ laws make third‑party actors vulnerable if they remain linked to sanctioned entities. This dynamic is commonly called weaponised interdependence because network control translates into coercive leverage. Historically, India has balanced adherence to UN Security Council sanctions with resistance to unilateral extraterritorial measures through diplomatic protest, legal arguments and alternate commercial arrangements.

The Topic Explained

Sanctions operate in layers. At the state level, a UN mandate is binding on member states. Separately, unilateral measures by a major power may include primary sanctions (direct prohibitions) and secondary sanctions that threaten penalties for third‑party engagement. Secondary sanctions function by threatening a firm’s access to critical services, chiefly US dollar clearing, correspondent banking and access to American markets. Financial intermediaries therefore practise commercial caution to avoid exposure even when a transaction is lawful under Indian law.

The transmission chain from a policy decision abroad to a domestic disruption is multi‑modal. Payment flows may be blocked at a correspondent bank in New York. …

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Related PYQs

2018GS2 Mains

In what ways would the ongoing US‑Iran Nuclear Pact controversy affect the national interest of India? How should India respond?

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Practice MCQs

IRmedium

Which of the following about secondary sanctions is/are correct?

1.They directly prohibit domestic firms of the sanctioning country from certain transactions.

2.They threaten penalties on third‑country firms that continue designated transactions.

3.They rely on denying access to the sanctioning country's financial system.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

A1 and 2 only
B2 and 3 only
C1 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
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IReasy

Consider the following statements about measures to reduce exposure to extraterritorial sanctions:

1.Building national strategic storage for essential fuels reduces immediate supply disruption risk.

2.Promoting rupee settlement eliminates all exposure to US‑based correspondent banking risks.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A1 only
B2 only
CBoth 1 and 2
DNeither 1 nor 2
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IReasy

Which one of the following is the most direct operational role of a proposed Economic Security and Sanctions Office?

ATo unilaterally waive domestic laws that conflict with foreign sanctions.
BTo coordinate across ministries and regulators to map vulnerabilities and issue guidance.
CTo replace the Reserve Bank of India in international banking negotiations.
DTo run Indian sovereign insurance for all private maritime trade.
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IRmedium

Which of the following best describes the purpose of the EU's Blocking Statute?

AIt allows the EU to levy counter‑sanctions directly on third countries.
BIt prohibits EU entities from complying with certain extraterritorial laws of a third country.
CIt creates an EU‑wide insurance pool for ships transiting sensitive chokepoints.
DIt mandates member states to settle trade with sanctioned countries in local currencies.
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IRmedium

Assertion (A): Weaponised interdependence explains why control of a global network node creates leverage over other states.

Reason (R): A country controlling a critical network node can unilaterally change the legal status of transactions within that node.

Choose the correct code:

A.Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

B.Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A

C.A is true and R is false

D.A is false and R is true

AA
BB
CC
DD
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