HPAS/Allied Mains 2022 Answer Writing Challenge Day 132 : Model Answer

QUESTION: How does membership of the SCO help India? (4 marks, 60 words)

Answer.

The original Shanghai Five were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. The SCO was formed in 2001, with Uzbekistan included. It expanded in 2017 to include India and Pakistan.

Membership of the SCO helps India in a following way:

For India, two important objectives are counter-terrorism and connectivity. These objectives converges with the SCO’s main objective of working cooperatively against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism. India wants access to intelligence and information from SCO’s counter-terrorism body, Regional Anti Terror Structure (RATS). A stable Afghanistan too is in India’s interest, and RATS provides access to non-Pakistan-centred counter-terrorism information there.

Apart from this, Connectivity is  an important consideration  for India’s Connect Central Asia policy and that will help India to tap vast Energy resources in Central Asia.

But India will also have to deal with Pakistan and an assertive China, which will push its Belt and Road Initiative. SCO membership also bolsters India’s status as a major pan-Asian player.