INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Prelims - 2018

SYLLABUS

India and its neighbourhood

India’s bilateral ties with few prominent countries

International Organisations

Regional Groupings

Indian Diaspora

INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD

India - Nepal

India - Bhutan

India - Bangladesh

India - Myanmar

India - Sri Lanka

India - Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles

India - China

India - Pakistan

1. INDIA – NEPAL: GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY

INDIA – NEPAL: GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY

INDIA - NEPAL

The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of

1950 – forms the bedrock of this relationship

It provides for a system of Open Borders and

National Treatment to each other’s citizens

Nepalese citizens have enjoyed unparalleled

advantages in India,

availing facilities and opportunities at par with Indian

citizens.

POLITICAL TIMELINE OF NEPAL

1950s to 1990 – Absolute Monarchy

1990 – Parliamentary Monarchy was introduced

1996 to 2005 – Civil War rages

2005 – 12 Point peace agreement signed

2008 – Nepal becomes a Democratic, Secular,

Federal, Republic

2008 to 2015 – Constitutional Crisis

2015 – New Constitution adopted

2017 – First stable government elected

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS (2008 - 2015)

Federalism

Inclusive Constitution

Equitable representation for Madhesis and

Janjatis

INDIA – NEPAL BORDER DISPUTES

Territorial disputes at Kalapani and Susta.

a legacy of British India

Present border drawn in 1814 during Partition of

Nepal under Treaty of Sugauli – lacks clarity

especially with regard to water resources

Joint Technical Level Nepal-India Boundary

Committee (JTLNIBC) – survey completed but both

countries have failed to ratify

INDIA – NEPAL PROJECTS

BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement

INDIA – NEPAL PROJECTS

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been providing

technical, advisory, and financial support to the BBIN MVA

initiative as part of its assistance to the South Asia Sub-

Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) programme, a

projects-based economic cooperation initiative that brings

together the BBIN countries, Maldives, Sri Lanka and

more recently, Myanmar.

Visakhapatnam Port has been declared as the second

gateway port for Nepal after Kolkata-Haldia.

India to sponsor the construction of a new Bridge over Mechi

River at Indo-Nepal border.

The Mechi River is a trans-boundary river flowing through

Nepal and India. It is a tributary of the Mahananda

River. The Mechi originates in the Mahabharat Range in

Nepal.

INDIA – NEPAL DEFENCE TIES

Operation Maitri – India carried out HADR operations to

assist Nepal during the massive earthquake of 2015.

Surya Kiran – annual military exercise.

INDIA – NEPAL BUDDHIST CIRCUIT PROJECT

The map of the Buddhist circuit as envisaged by India

comprises Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, Rajgir and

Kushinagar in Bihar, Sarnath, and Shravasti in

India, along with Kapilavastu and Lumbini in Nepal

where Buddha was born.

CHINA IN NEPAL

Sagarmatha Exercise – 1st ever military exercise held in

2017.

Tianjin Port – China has offered it as an alternative to

Kolkata port.

2. INDIA - BHUTAN

INDIA - BHUTAN

1949 India–Bhutan Friendship Treaty

Bhutan agreed to be ‘guided’ by India in its foreign

relations and India agreed not to interfere in Bhutan’s

internal affairs.

India also has the obligation to defend Bhutan.

Bhutan’s development in the initial decades has almost

entirely been financed by India.

India and Bhutan also have a free trade regime

India maintains an Indian Military Training Team

(IMTRAT) in Bhutan

Bhutan has cooperated with India in clearing out the bases

of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and Bodo

groups from its territory in 2003

INDIA - BHUTAN

Hydro Power Co-operation - The revenues that Bhutan

earns from sale of surplus electricity to India have

given Bhutan the highest per capita income in South

Asia, and enabled it to reduce its budgetary

dependence on India.

The Lhotsampas Refugee crisis in 1990s

THE DOKLAM STANDOFF

CHINA – BHUTAN BORDER DISPUTE

ASTANA CONSENSUS

India and China had arrived at a consensus between Prime

Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jin

Ping at Astana on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in

June 2017.

Both sides agreed not digress from their commitment

for peaceful resolution of all disputes.

3. INDIA – BANGLADESH

LAND BOUNDARY AGREEMENT – ENCLAVE ISSUE

India resolved the enclave issue by passing the 119th

Constitutional amendment bill which enacted the 100th

Constitution amendment.

INDIA – BANGLADESH: RIVER DISPUTES

Farakka Barrage:

FARAKKA BARRAGE DISPUTE

Farakka Barrage is a barrage across the Ganga River,

in West Bengal.

The purpose of the barrage is to divert water from the

Ganga to the Hooghly River for flushing out the

sediment deposition from the Kolkata harbour

without the need of regular mechanical dredging.

Bangladesh has environmental concerns such as

increase in salinity level, contaminated fisheries,

hindered navigation.

FENI RIVER Feni River is a river in the Indian state of Tripura and

southeastern Bangladesh.

It is a trans-boundary river with an ongoing dispute about water rights.

The Feni River originates in South Tripura district and flows through Sabroom town and then enters Bangladesh.

Tripura to construct bridge on river Feni to connect Chittagong port

Landlocked Tripura has decided to construct a 150-metre bridge on river Feni to connect the State with Chittagong port in Bangladesh.

This bridge would not only connect Tripura but also the whole of north-east region plagued by serious connectivity issues

BARAK RIVER AND TIPAIMUKH DAM

It rises in the Patkari range of Manipur and flows

through Mizoram and into Assam, and just after it

enters Bangladesh it forks into Surma and Kushiyara

rivers.

BARAK RIVER AND TIPAIMUKH DAM Tipaimukh Dam is a proposed embankment dam on the

river Barak in Manipur

The purpose of the dam is flood control and hydroelectric power generation.

Project delayed due dispute between India and Bangladesh over water rights, floods and environmental concerns.

The Union Cabinet has approved MoU between India and Bangladesh for fairway development of Ashuganj-Zakiganj stretch of Kushiyara river and Sirajganj-Daikhawa stretch of Jamuna river.

Benefits of this MoU:

The MoU will considerably reduce the logistics cost of cargo movement to North Eastern India.

It will also reduce the congestion through the Siliguri Chicken’s Neck corridor.

FAIRWAY DEVELOPMENT ON KUSHIYARA RIVER

AND JAMUNA RIVER

TEESTA RIVER

The Teesta River originates from the Phanuri (or

Teesta Kangse) glacier in Sikkim and enters West

Bengal and finally flows into Bangladesh to join

Jamuna (Brahmaputra), and drains into Bay of Bengal.

The dispute has come close to a resolution but not yet

finalized.

INDIA – BANGLADESH CONNECTIVITY

Chittagong and Mongla Port

INDIA – BANGLADESH CONNECTIVITY

Petrapole Integrated Check Post in West Bengal is

the largest land custom point in India and Asia.

Petrapole ICP will be the second ICP on the India-

Bangladesh border after the Agartala ICP at the

Agartala (Tripura) - Akhaura (Bangladesh) land border

INDIA – BANGLADESH MARITIME DISPUTE

New Moore Island Dispute

DEFENCE & STRATEGIC TIES

Sampriti - military exercise

Sundarban Moitry (Sundarban Alliance) - first of its

kind exercise between the BSF and the BGB.

Civil Nuclear Co-operation - India will participate in

construction and installation works in the “non-critical”

category for the first nuclear power plant in Bangladesh

at Rooppur in association with Russia.

Operation Insaniyat – Indian assistance to Bangladesh

to help deal with the influx of Rohingya refugees in 2017

4. INDIA - MYANMAR

INDIA-MYANMAR-THAILAND FRIENDSHIP HIGHWAY

KALADAN MULTI-MODAL TRANSIT ROUTE

BCIM FORUM FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION

BORDER PASS FOR FREE MOVEMENT

India and Myanmar are all set to streamline free movement of people within 16 km along their borders.

The Centre has asked the four states that share unfenced border with Myanmar to distribute “border pass” to all the residents living within 16 km from the boundary line.

It has also asked the governments of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram to enrol the border residents under Aadhaar on war footing.

The border pass will be given only to the domiciles to permit free movement for trade, agriculture and people to people ties.

It will also help address the issue of movement of extremists and smugglers freely across the border.

Rina Mitra Committee - Curb the misuse of free movement along the Myanmar border.

MYANMAR DAM NEAR MANIPUR

Myanmar is building a new dam, close to the border near Manipur. This has raised some concerns among the border villages in Manipur.

The Tuidimjang Dam, is being built on the Twigem River. Twigem River flows into Myanmar from Manipur. The dam is barely 100 metres from the zero line separating the two countries.

International rules warrant border countries to check activities in No Man’s Land.

This applies to a 150-metre strip on either side of the boundary line.

Border villagers in Manipur’s Chandel district are concerned of the project. The residents of Khangtung village recently reported to the Chandel district officials.

Khangtung is inhabited by the Thadou tribe and is 137 km south of Manipur capital Imphal.

MILITARY EXERCISES

1. IMBAX

The first India-Myanmar bilateral military exercise

was held in Meghalaya in 2017.

The joint exercise is the first of its kind military

training exercise on United Nations Peacekeeping

Operations between India and Myanmar.

2. IMCOR

Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol is a naval exercise

along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL)

in the Andaman Sea.

ROHINGYA CRISIS

5. INDIA AND IOR

INDIA – SRI LANKA

Question of 13th Amendment - peace, reconciliation and rehabilitation of Tamil

victims of civil war.

Issue of Human Rights violation at UNHRC.

Civil Nuclear Co-operation deal signed in 2015.

Fisherman Dispute

INDIA V/S CHINA IN SRI LANKA

INDIA’S COUNTER TO CHINA IN THE IOR

Regional Initiatives – BIMSTEC, IORA, IONS etc.

Trilateral arrangement established between India,

Sri Lanka and Maldives in 2011. Mauritius has been

invited to join this arrangement.

Coastal Surveillance Radar project.

Maldives – India gifted INS Tilanchang – a fast attack

craft and iHaven SEZ Project, Mauritius – India gifted

offshore patrol vessel INS Barracuda, Agalega

Islands.

Seychelles – Assumption Islands.

Project Mausam.

Buddhist Heritage (Kapilavastu Relics displayed in Sri

Lanka).

JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES IN IOR

Sri Lanka – Mitra Shakti and SLINEX

Maldives – Ekuverin and Dosti

Seychelles – LAMITIYE

USA - Malabar (few editions have included Japan,

Australia and Singapore)

6. INDIA - CHINA

Panchsheel principles of 1954:

1. Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and

sovereignty.

2. Mutual non-aggression.

3. Mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

4. Equality and cooperation for mutual benefit.

5. Peaceful co-existence.

INDIA – CHINA BORDER DISPUTE

INDIA – CHINA BORDER DISPUTE

STRING OF PEARLS THEORY

ONE BELT ONE ROAD INITIATIVE

CHINA – PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE

CHINA NEEDLING INDIA

UNSC 1267 Resolution – Maulana Masood Azhar

Nuclear Suppliers Group

BRAHMAPUTRA DISPUTE AND SIANG RIVER TURNS

BLACK

Recently China was blamed for affecting the flow in Siang.

China has been planning to dig the world’s longest

tunnel to change the course of Yarlung Tsangpo from

Tibet towards Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang.

7. INDIA - PAKISTAN

INDIA - PAKISTAN

1947-48: Operation Gulmarg

1965: Operation Gibraltar and Tashkent Agreement

1971: Liberation of Bangladesh and Shimla Agreement

1984 : Operation Meghdoot

2002 Cold Start Doctrine

INDUS WATER TREATY - 1960

GUJRAL DOCTRINE (1996-97)

1. With neighbours like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India does not ask for reciprocity, but gives and accommodates what it can in good faith and trust. 2. No South Asian country should allow its territory to be used against the interest of another country of the region. 3. No country should interfere in the internal affairs of another. 4. All South Asian countries must respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. 5. They should settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.

TAPI PIPELINE

INDIA - AFGHANISTAN - IRAN

INDIA - AFGHANISTAN - IRAN

INDIA - AFGHANISTAN - IRAN

INTERNATIONAL NORTH SOUTH TRANSPORT CORRIDOR

INSTC V/S OBOR

INDIA - ISRAEL

INDIA – ISRAEL DEFENCE TIES

Barak SAM – air defence system

LRSAM & MRSAM – DRDO & IAI

Phalcon AWACS

Drones- Heron, Searcher and Heron TP (Armed

UAV’s)

Spike – Anti –tank missiles

Space (TecSAR, RISAT)

Cyber security (Talpiot programme - Stuxnet)

INDIA – ISRAEL

Agriculture – Drought resistant crops, high yield crops

and Precision Agriculture

Water Management – Drip Irrigation

Water Desalination – Gal-Mobile

HAIFA AND THE INDIAN CONNECTION

Prime Minister Narendra Modi saluted the Indian

soldiers who laid down their lives protecting the Israeli

city of Haifa during World War I from the Ottoman

Empire forces.

Teen Murti Marg in Delhi renamed after the Israeli city

Haifa.