QUESTION 2
India has a strategic interest in West Asian stability due to economic, energy, and geopolitical issues. Discuss how India can play a significant role in the continuing conflict in West Asia.
General points on the structure of the answers
Introduction
— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.
— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.
Body
— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.
— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.
— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.
— Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer.
— Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required.
Way forward/ conclusion
— The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction.
— You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers.
Self Evaluation
— It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers.
THOUGHT PROCESS
You may enrich your answers by some of the following points
QUESTION 1: The Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder enjoys certain privileges but also faces limitations compared to Indian citizens. Discuss the rights and privileges granted to OCI cardholders, highlighting the restrictions that apply to them.
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) was established in August 2005. The OCI system allows for the registration of all Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were citizens of India on January 26, 1950, or later, or who were eligible to become citizens of India on that day.
— An OCI card bearer, essentially a foreign passport holder, is granted a multiple-entry, multi-purpose life-long visa for visiting India and is exempt from registration with local police authorities for any duration of stay in the country.
— According to government figures, there were over 45 lakh registered OCI card holders from 129 countries in 2023. The US led the list with more than 16.8 lakh OCI card holders, followed by the UK (9.34 lakh), Australia (4.94 lakh), and Canada (4.18 lakh).
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
— Initially, an OCI card holder had equal access to economic, financial, and educational facilities as Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), with the exception of the acquisition of agricultural or plantation estates. NRIs are Indian citizens who are permanent residents of a foreign country.
Latest rules regarding OCIs
— The new laws required OCI cardholders to obtain permission or a permit to enter protected sites in India. The same limitations apply to foreign nationals visiting Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.
— A number of new limitations were also imposed, including the need for OCIs to obtain a special permit to do “any research,” “missionary,” “Tablighi,” or “journalistic” activities, or to visit any region in India designated as “protected,” “restricted,” or “prohibited.”
— The announcement treated OCIs the same as “foreign nationals” in “all other economic, financial, and educational fields” under the Foreign Exchange Management Act of 2003, despite previous circulars issued by the Reserve Bank of India under FEMA.
Limitations to OCI
— An applicant is not eligible for an OCI card if his or her parents or grandparents were ever citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh. However, a spouse of foreign origin of an Indian citizen or an OCI whose marriage has been registered and has lasted at least two years can apply for an OCI card.
— Whether active or retired, foreign military personnel are not eligible for OCI.
— The holder of an OCI card is not eligible to vote, serve in a Legislative Assembly, a Legislative Council, or Parliament, or hold Indian constitutional positions such as President, Vice President, Supreme Court, or High Court Judge.
— He or she cannot normally hold employment in the government.
Conclusion:
— In 2009, an amendment allowed OCIs parity with NRIs with respect to entry fee at monuments and historical sites, museums; parity with NRIs with respect to professions such as doctors, CAs, advocates and architects; and parity with NRIs to appear for all-India PMT, or other such tests.
(Source: Who is an Overseas Citizen of India? What are the rights and privileges of OCI card holders? by Divya A)
Points to Ponder
Who are NRIs?
What is the current status of OCI in India?
Related Previous Year Question
“Right of movement and residence throughout the territory of India are freely available to the Indian citizens, but these rights are not absolute.” Comment. (2022)
QUESTION 2: India has a strategic interest in West Asian stability due to economic, energy, and geopolitical issues. Discuss how India can play a significant role in the continuing conflict in West Asia.
Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— West Asia is important to India for a variety of reasons, including economic, political, geopolitical, and security. India regards the West Asian area as its ‘extended neighbourhood.’
— In recent years, India’s interaction with the West Asian region has expanded beyond the historically prominent areas of trade, energy, and diaspora relations. India has stressed cooperation in military and security, forming strategic alliances, and is looking into new areas of collaboration in renewable energy, health, climate change, food security, connectivity, and so on.
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
India’s stakes in west Asia
— There are around 18,000 Indians in Israel, 5,000–10,000 in Iran, and 90 lakh throughout the region as a whole. A larger confrontation will put this vast Indian community at jeopardy.
— The West Asian region accounts for 80% of India’s oil supplies. A larger war will almost certainly spike energy prices. Furthermore, prominent Arab countries have shown a desire to participate in the Indian economy; these plans will most certainly be jeopardised if the violence spreads.
— India has invested in its relations with key Arab countries, Iran, and Israel. New Delhi regards the region as an extended neighbourhood and has been working with all parties to promote the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which promises both strategic and economic benefits.
How can India play a significant role?
— Earlier this year, Iran had launched a swarm of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles at Israel in response to a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Damascus in which a senior Iranian general was killed. This is a major worry for India, which has strategic ties with both Israel and Iran.
— West Asia is presently India’s greatest commercial partner, with a two-way trade volume of $150 billion. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, with trade worth $90 billion and $50 billion, respectively, have emerged as key partners in strategic and counter-terrorism cooperation with India.
— India sees the Israel-Palestine conflict through the larger lens of promoting peace and stability in West Asia. Not all Western Asian powers back Hamas and Hezbollah. India, along with the United States and many other countries, supports a two-state solution — “building a sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine that lives side by side at peace with Israel”.
— India and Israel have great shared concerns about extremism and terrorism. Israel has evolved as a key defence supplier alongside the United States, France, and Russia — and New Delhi recalls how the Israelis stepped in during the Kargil war in 1999.
— Iran, on the other hand, has been a major source of crude for India. The two countries also share concerns about terrorism emerging from Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as the Taliban’s treatment of minorities and the lack of an inclusive and representative government in Kabul. The Chabahar port is a significant strategic and economic initiative for India.
Conclusion:
— The US has been the traditional international mediator in the region, and its envoy Amos Hochstein has been trying to prevent escalation. “We continue to believe that a diplomatic resolution is achievable,” he has said. However, there is no trust between the US and Iran, and Washington is squarely on Israel’s side.
— It is important that the conflict doesn’t take a wider regional dimension and we urge that all issues be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy.
(Source: How India could play a meaningful role in the conflict in West Asia by Shubhajit Roy, Why peace in West Asia matters to India by Ram Madhav)
Points to Ponder
Escalation points in the west Asia
What is a two state solution?
Related Previous Year Questions
The Indian diaspora has scaled new heights in the West. Describe its economic and political benefits for India. (2023)
‘Indian diaspora has a decisive role to play in the politics and economy of America and European Countries’. Comment with examples. (2020)
Previous Mains Answer Practice
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 75)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 76)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 76)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 74)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 76)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 77)
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their meeting in Washington DC. Attempt a question on India's interest in the stability of west Asian countries in today's answer writing practice. (PTI) 
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