QUESTION 2
The Indus Waters Treaty has been a rare example of institutionalised cooperation between India and Pakistan despite prolonged political and security tensions. What are the challenges to its future in the present geopolitical context?
QUESTION 1: “India’s engagement with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation reflects strategic autonomy rather than an anti-Western alignment.” Discuss.
Relevance: The topic links with GS Paper 2 – India and its neighbourhood, bilateral/regional groupings and international institutions. The question covers India’s engagement with Russia, China, Central Asia and the West through multilateral platforms. It is also relevant to understanding India’s evolving role in shaping the Eurasian and Indo-Pacific strategic order.
Note: This is not a model UPSC answer. It only provides you with a thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— India’s interaction with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) must be considered in the perspective of its overall engagement with Eurasia.
— Rather than viewing the SCO as an anti-Western bloc, India has exploited the organization to advance its own interests in a region where China, Russia, Iran, and Central Asian states are becoming increasingly prominent.
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
Strategic autonomy through SCO engagement
— India has close ties with Russia, Iran, and the Central Asian countries, while its disagreements with China and Pakistan persist. Its membership in the SCO enables it to remain engaged with countries with whom it has significant strategic interests, despite bilateral disputes.
— The SCO is particularly significant because it includes Central and South Asian countries, as well as Iran. According to Indian Express, shifting geopolitical conditions necessitate that India reconsider the importance it places on the organization and its broader Eurasian engagement.
— The current SCO conference has assumed increased significance for India because of Iran. Iran’s geography is critical for India’s access to Central Asia, and India’s interest in connectivity through Iran adds a new dimension to its SCO engagement.
— India’s Central Asian ambitions have been hampered by tight relations with Pakistan and unrest in Afghanistan. Connectivity through Iran has become increasingly important, despite the fact that it is also subject to sanctions and other restraints. The SCO provides another institutional forum for India to interact with the region.
— The SCO also provides a platform for India to engage with China while pursuing its own objectives. According to Indian Express, the organization can assist India gain strategic autonomy in respect to Beijing. Simultaneously, India’s engagement has historically been marked by tensions with China and Pakistan, particularly over terrorism and connectivity initiatives.
Conclusion:
— India’s SCO involvement is better seen as an endeavour to retain strategic space and develop its interests in Eurasia, rather than as membership in an anti-Western coalition. India’s simultaneous engagement with Iran, Russia, Central Asia, and China, while maintaining independent viewpoints on international problems, demonstrates the flexibility that comes with strategic autonomy.
(Sources: What makes this SCO summit different for India is Iran, The SCO matters more to India now than it once did, The real lesson from Khamenei’s funeral: In diplomacy, optics shape influence, C Raja Mohan writes on PM Modi’s Asia tour: Expect rhetoric from SCO meet in China, progress in Japan)
Points to Ponder
How does SCO participation reflect strategic autonomy?
What are the opportunities and limitations of the SCO for India?
Related Previous Year Questions
BRICS acts as a powerful counterweight in global governance, actively amplifying the voice and influence of the Global South.” Explain the role of BRICS in projecting itself as an alternative to other groupings. (2026)
Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO. What importance does it hold for India? (2021)
‘Virus of Conflict is affecting the functioning of the SCO’ In the light of the above statement, point out the role of India in mitigating the problems. (2023)
QUESTION 2: The Indus Waters Treaty has been a rare example of institutionalised cooperation between India and Pakistan despite prolonged political and security tensions. What are the challenges to its future in the present geopolitical context?
Relevance: The topic is directly linked to GS Paper 2 – India-Pakistan relations and international treaties. The question connects national security, international law and shared river-water management.
Note: This is not a model UPSC answer. It only provides you with a thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.
Introduction:
— The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), signed in 1960, has withstood wars, diplomatic breakdowns, and ongoing India-Pakistan hostility.
— However, the changing security environment, disagreements over its institutional procedures, and the need to integrate contemporary developmental and environmental realities all pose difficulties to its future prospects.
Body:
You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:
What are the challenges?
— Cross-border terrorism and ongoing military confrontations have weakened the trust and spirit of collaboration that underpinned the Treaty. India has linked the Treaty’s suspension to Pakistan’s withdrawal of support for cross-border terrorism.
— Following the terrorist attack at Pahalgam, India suspended the IWT. This has raised concerns about the operation of the institutional processes intended by the Treaty.
— The Treaty establishes a three-tier process that includes the Permanent Indus Commission, Neutral Expert, and Court of Arbitration. The competing proceedings between India and Pakistan have resulted in a jurisdictional disagreement, with India refusing to recognise the Court of Arbitration’s procedures.
— Pakistan has consistently opposed the design of projects such as Kishanganga and Ratle, while India insists that the approved uses of the western rivers be fully implemented. Such discrepancies have become a major point of contention.
— The Treaty is over six decades old. India’s increasing demands for hydropower, irrigation, and water utilisation, combined with developments in dam construction, have prompted calls to rethink some of its provisions.
— Changing hydrological conditions, glacier dynamics, and water availability have resulted in circumstances that were not key to the Treaty’s negotiation in 1960. This raises the question of whether a tight allocation mechanism is suitable to meet future water stresses.
— The Indus basin extends beyond India and Pakistan, and the greater regional environment includes China and Afghanistan. As a result, the current bilateral arrangement operates in a more complex geopolitical and hydrological environment.
Conclusion:
— The primary challenge is not only whether the IWT will survive in its current form, but whether India and Pakistan can create a credible, adaptable, and mutually acceptable framework for transboundary water management that is appropriate for present geopolitical and environmental realities.
(Sources: Sharing water post Indus Waters Treaty: The road ahead for India, Pakistan, Indus Waters Treaty: Why India wants to renegotiate the pact with Pakistan, Indus Waters Treaty: A year on, India’s case for freezing it and what it plans next, India must uphold Indus Waters Treaty, court rules. What was Pakistan’s case?)
Points to Ponder
How can India balance water security with treaty obligations and regional stability?
Related Previous Year Question
Terrorist activities and mutual distrust have clouded India – Pakistan relations. To what extent the use of soft power like sports and cultural exchanges could help generate goodwill between the two countries? Discuss with suitable examples. (2015)
Previous Mains Answer Practice
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 168)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 169)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 168)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 169)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 167)
UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 168)
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Are you preparing for Civil Services Mains Exam 2027? Attempt a question on India’s engagement with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in today's answer-writing practice. (File image) 
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