UPSC Key: India elevates ties with Nordic nations, Chandrayaan-3 ‘hop’ experiment, and Local bodies

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are Nordic countries?

— Why do India-Nordic ties matter in a shifting global order?

— What is the strategic significance for India-Nordic ties?

— What are the various areas of cooperation between India and Nordic countries?

— Know about India-Nordic cooperation in Arctic and polar research

— Know about India-Nordic summit and its objectives

Key Takeaways:

— After attending the third India-Nordic summit in Oslo, Modi said, “We have decided to shape the India-Nordic relationship into a Strategic Partnership focused on Green Technology and Innovation…”

— “A crucial pillar of the India-Nordic partnership”, he said, “lies in our extensive ties in research and innovation… We will deepen our cooperation in Arctic and polar research, and ensure new opportunities for skill development and talent mobility between India and the Nordic countries.”

— In contrast to US President Donald Trump’s unpredictability, Europe has positioned itself as a reliable partner, shedding its past hesitations in engaging with India.

— New Delhi too has warmed up to Europe as it looks for investment, destinations for its people, and technology to power its growth. Statements by Nordic leaders signal the value of stability in the India relationship with oblique references to disruptive and destabilising moves – from Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

— He said bilateral trade between India and the Nordic countries has nearly quadrupled over the last decade, investments flowing from the Nordic nations into India have witnessed an increase of approximately 200 per cent over the past decade.

— On the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with Norway, Iceland, and other EFTA nations since 2025, and the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, an accord in which Denmark, Finland and Sweden are also key partners, Modi said, “Through these ambitious trade agreements, we are poised to usher in a new ‘Golden Era’ in the relationship between India and the Nordic countries.”

— India-Nordic trade in goods and services reached USD 19 billion in 2024 (exports USD 9.4 billion, imports USD 9.6 billion). Over 700 Nordic companies operate in India, while 150 Indian companies are present in the Nordic region.

From the Ideas Page: India, Norway need a sovereign investment corridor

— Chandrika Soyantar writes: Shashi Tharoor, writing in these pages (‘At India-Nordic Summit, turn historical sambandh into future partnership’, IE, May 14), framed the India-Nordic Summit as an opportunity to convert sambandh into strategic alignment. The missing dimension is capital.

— The Nordic arc spans technology, sustainability, shipping and clean energy across Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.

— Within it, Norway stands apart — steward of the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, at a moment when India is one of the few economies capable of absorbing long-duration capital at scale.

— Norway has sovereign capital in search of long-duration growth. India offers one of the world’s deepest long-duration growth opportunities. The India-Nordic Summit is where the two meet.

Do You Know:

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi is headed to Norway for the third India-Nordic summit. He then visited three more countries — the Netherlands, Sweden and Italy. The visit and the summit were planned in mid-May last year but were postponed after Operation Sindoor.

— The Prime Minister’s trip is part of India’s push to deepen ties with Europe, a process that has been going on for a few years now. The engagement resulted in the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) earlier this year, and is a larger attempt to broaden alliances at a time when the US is no longer the stable partner it was seen as.

— The first India-Nordic summit was held in Stockholm (2018) and the second in Copenhagen (2022), bringing together leaders of India, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. Only the US holds an equivalent summit-level engagement with the Nordics.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍PM Modi’s Europe trip begins today: What India hopes to gain from better ties with Nordic countries

📍At the India-Nordic Summit, turn ‘sambandh’ into strategy

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(1) Consider the following countries: (UPSC CSE 2014)

1. Denmark

2. Japan

3. Russian Federation

4. United Kingdom

5. United States of America

Which of the above are the members of the ‘Arctic Council’?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 4 and 5 only

(d) 1, 3 and 5 only

SC cites citizen’s right to move freely, allows euthanasia of ‘rabid, dangerous’ stray dogs

Syllabus:

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: Underscoring the right to live with dignity under Article 21 includes the right to move freely in public spaces without the fear of dog bites, the Supreme Court, on Tuesday, dismissed the pleas challenging the standard operating procedure (SOP) to manage the stray dog menace.

Key Points to Ponder:

— How has Article 21 expanded in recent times?

—  Article 21 of the Constitution held that the right to life includes the right to move freely in public spaces without fear of attack. Elaborate.

— What are the causes of rabies? What is its cure?

— What is the euthanasia?

— What are the main points of India’s ABC Rules, 2023?

— What are the successful models from other countries that can be implemented by India?

— How to draw a balance between compassion for dogs and the lives of human beings?

Key Takeaways:

— The applications had challenged the November 27, 2025, SOP issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) for stray dog management.

— The top court had then directed all states and Union Territories to remove stray dogs from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and depots, and railway stations, “to a designated shelter, after due sterilisation and vaccination in accordance with the Animal Birth Control Rules”.

— “The right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India necessarily encompasses the right of every citizen to move freely and access public spaces without living under a constant apprehension of physical harm, attack, or exposure to life-threatening events such as dog bites in public areas”, the verdict highlighted.

From the Explained page: In stray dogs case in SC, questions of right to life, compassion to living beings

— The Supreme Court on Tuesday May 19 dismissed all challenges on stray dog management and warned that the state cannot remain a “passive spectator” as citizens face the constant threat of dog attacks in public spaces.

— Linking the issue directly to Article 21 of the Constitution, the court held that the right to life includes the right to move freely in public spaces without fear of attack. “The Constitution does not envisage a society where children and elderly citizens are left to survive on the mercy of physical strength or chance”.

— The SC stepped into the stray dogs issue last July after taking suo motu cognizance of a news report about a 6-year-old girl in New Delhi who died after a dog bite and suspected rabies infection. Calling the incidents and the rise of dog attacks and rabies deaths “disturbing”, the court said the stray dog issue had become a serious public safety concern.

— The court on Tuesday directed every district in the country to establish at least one fully functional ABC centre and asked States and Union Territories to expand infrastructure depending on population density and local requirements.

— It also ordered authorities to ensure adequate availability of anti-rabies medicines and improve veterinary and vaccination services.

— The Bench also directed the NHAI and States to create a coordinated mechanism for dealing with stray animals on highways and expressways, including transport vehicles, shelter facilities and coordination with animal welfare organisations.

— The court further held that authorities may take legally permissible measures, including euthanasia, in cases involving rabid, incurably ill or demonstrably dangerous and aggressive dogs posing a threat to human life, strictly in accordance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the ABC Rules.

Do You Know:

— The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, issued under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, treat sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination as the primary way to control stray dog populations.

— They also require dogs to be released back into the same locality after sterilisation, recognising that stray dogs are territorial by nature.

— The Rules do not permit indiscriminate killing or relocation of dogs. Euthanasia is allowed only in limited situations involving rabid, terminally ill or fatally injured animals.

— The case also raised constitutional concerns. Animal welfare groups relied on Article 51A(g), which asks citizens to show compassion towards living creatures. Petitioners representing residents and bite victims argued that unchecked stray dog populations affected citizens’ rights under Articles 19 and 21, including the right to move freely and live safely.

— Dog bites are dangerous due to the bacteria harboured in the animal’s mouth, which can cause serious infection, including staphylococcus, pasteurella, and capnocytophaga, once the skin is broken.

— The bite itself may damage the skin, muscles, tendons, nerves, or even bones, especially in severe cases, which can result in scarring, disability, or even death, he underlines.

— “Complications from infection, such as sepsis, can be life-threatening if left untreated. Another critical risk is rabies, a fatal viral disease that can be transmitted through dog saliva.”

— Survival from a rabies infection is extremely rare, according to doctors. Once symptoms appear, rabies is considered one of the deadliest infections known, with a nearly 100% fatality rate.

— Only a handful of human survivors have ever been documented worldwide, often due to either extremely aggressive critical care or infection by a weakened strain of the virus.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: How govt, courts have dealt with stray dogs

📍Understanding India’s stray animal crisis, how other countries have intervened

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(2) Consider the following diseases:

1. Diphtheria

2. Rabies

3. Smallpox

Which of the above diseases has/have been eradicated in India?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) None

 

NATION

Moon’s upper surface has two distinct layers within centimetres, reveals Chandrayaan-3 ‘hop’ experiment

Syllabus:

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology

What’s the ongoing story: THE FAMOUS ‘hop’ experiment performed by the Chandrayaan-3 lander on the Moon was not just about demonstrating Indian space agency ISRO’s ability to launch from the lunar surface.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the Chandrayaan missions?

— What are the major achievements of the Chandrayaan Missions?

— What is the ‘hop’ experiment by the Chandrayaan-3?

— Read about the Chandrayaan-3 mission and its payloads in detail.

— Know about the features of Moon

— What is the significance of the Moon mission?

— What are the future Chandrayaan Missions of India?

Key Takeaways:

— Scientists have now revealed new details about the upper surface of the Moon at the landing site using data collected during that ‘hop’ manoeuvre performed towards the end of planned active mission life of Chandrayaan-3.

— Scientists have reported that the Moon’s upper surface, the regolith as it is called, is not uniform, and its physical and thermal properties show sharp changes at just a few centimetres of depth. The loose porous layer at the top very quickly gives way to a denser compact layer just 2 to 6 cm below.

— More importantly, the paper, which is based on analysis of data produced by the ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment), suggests that the ‘hop’ experiment disturbed the upper loose layer enough to expose the subsequent layers to the instruments onboard the lander.

— On September 4, 2023, just before it went into hibernation to survive the lunar night, the Chandrayaan-3 lander, which had made a historic soft-landing 10 days earlier, was made to perform a small jump. The lander fired its engines, lifted itself up about 40 cm from the surface, and landed again 30-40 cm away.

— The new findings have put a more precise measurement for the distance travelled by lander during the ‘hop’ experiment — about 50 cm, instead of the earlier estimate of 30-40 cm. The paper says that the rocket plume generated during the ‘hop’ was enough to blow away about 3 cm of the top layer of the surface, and allow the ChaSTE to have a look at the newly exposed layer beneath.

— A rod-shaped probe with a sharp tip and fitted with temperature sensors, ChaSTE was able to do a thermal profile of the new site post ‘hop’. It was deployed for 57 minutes during lunar twilight, which lasts for a few hours unlike the Earth twilight that lasts for a few minutes before sunset. The analysis revealed that even at depths of 6 to 9 cm, the lunar surface was composed of two distinct layers.

— The paper represents a first-of-its-kind thermal profile, density and layering structure of the Moon’s surface at the lunar twilight time, just ahead of sunset on this part of the Moon. The information could be useful at the time of planning future moon walks or for building lunar bases, PRL scientists said.

— Specifically, the amount of displacement caused by rocket plumes at the time of the ‘hop’ experiment is very useful information for space agencies planning return missions. It helps them to understand what to expect when a rocket engine is fired so close to the surface.

Do You Know:

— The Moon is thought to have been formed after a large asteroid collided with Earth some 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists hypothesise that in its early life, the Moon’s surface was made up entirely of an ocean of magma.

— As this ocean cooled over millions of years, heavier silicon- and magnesium-rich minerals such as olivine and pyroxene sank to the lower levels of the lunar crust and its upper mantle (which is generally the largest layer inside a planetary body, bounded by the planet’s core on the inside and the crust on the outside). Lighter minerals, composed of calcium- and sodium-based compounds, floated to the top and formed the upper crust.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What the first findings from ISRO’s Chandrayaan 3 mission tell us about the Moon

📍Chandrayaan-3: All you need to know about the mission and what happens after its successful Moon landing

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(3) Consider the following statements with reference to the Chandrayaan-3 mission:

1. Chandrayaan-3 consists of an indigenous propulsion module, a lander module, and a rover.

2. This mission makes the first attempt to make a soft landing on the surface of the Moon.

3. The Pragyan rover aimed to collect lunar regolith samples and bring the samples back to the Earth.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

EXPLAINED

Why India needs to empower local bodies

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.

What’s the ongoing story: “Whatever the reasons, the fact remains our local bodies are not, as a rule, shining examples of success and efficiency…” That is not a contemporary lament, but one expressed in 1925 by the chairman of the municipality of Allahabad, Jawaharlal Nehru. A hundred years on, little has changed.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are the three-tier of governments in India?

— What is the third-tier of government?

— What are the 72nd and 73rd constitutional amendments Act?

— What are the mandatory features of local self governance?

— What is the significance of local self-governance in India?

— What are the challenges faced by the local government in India?

— What is federalism? What are its features?

— Suggest measures to strengthen the third-tier of government

Key Takeaways:

— The third tier of government — comprising rural and urban local bodies — is prominently absent in the federalism debates, which tend to focus exclusively on the Centre and the states. It is the stepchild of Indian federalism and the offending step-parent is the second tier, namely state governments, directly above and controlling it.

— Consider the abject neglect of the urban third tier in personnel, finances and expenditures. 

Figure 1. Structure of employment across three tiers of government: China, India, and the United States.

— In the United States and China, polar opposites as political systems, nearly two-thirds of government employees work for local governments. In India, just over 10 per cent do (see Figure 1). As a result, most public services are delivered by the third tier in the former, but very few in India.

— Next, consider finances. Self-generated resources, in addition to personnel, are critical to efficient delivery. Figure 2 illustrates how poor the performance of urban local bodies (ULBs) has been compared to the other two tiers.

— The Centre and states have been able to increase the resources they generate for themselves to fund service delivery by a factor of 2 and 2.5, respectively, over nearly six decades.

Figure 2. Own tax resources (% of GDP).

— In contrast, the urban third tier’s share in tax generation has broadly stagnated at a measly 0.3 per cent of GDP. As a result, expenditures by the third tier are abysmally low (less than 1 per cent of GDP) and the states and Centre spend roughly 15 and 20 times more, respectively.

— Poor own tax generation means that even measly expenditures are funded from outside resources, eviscerating any agency that the third tier might have and reinforcing their dependence on state governments.

— The deficiencies of the third tier have something to do with a deeper pathology relating to land. One manifestation of this is suggested by a contrast between China and India. In relatively land-scarce countries, rapid economic growth leads to rapid increases in land and property values relative to gross domestic product (GDP). This has been true of China and of India. As such, land provides a potentially buoyant source of fiscal revenues.

— But as Figure 3 shows, over the period of rapid economic growth in the two countries, China was able to fiscalise rising land values, and more from selling land than taxing it.

Figure 3. Tax and non-tax revenues from land, China and India, 1999-2022.

— In contrast, India’s revenues have stagnated at about 1 per cent of GDP through the entire growth phase. Put differently, the Chinese government’s collections from land revenue for every urban resident that was available for spending were about 15 times more than India’s in 1999; at its peak in 2020, this multiple increased to 225.

— The inability to fiscalise land owes to socialist ideology interacting with vested interests, compounded by a controlling second tier and an enfeebled third tier. Socialism inspired misguided laws such as the Urban Land Ceiling Act of 1976, which simply fragmented land into small parcels with little excess identified and a trivial amount acquired by the state for public purposes.

— The result is that ULBs in India are caught in a low-equilibrium political economy trap. While higher tiers (both Centre and states) use their devolution powers to control and influence lower levels, the latter are both unable and unwilling to tax their proximate citizens. The result is chronic resource constraints with high dependency: a lever of political and administrative control of local governments by states that severely constrains their autonomy.

— Central schemes are top-down initiatives with little citizen participation and have been unable to address the binding constraints of the weak administrative and technical capacity of ULBs and the overbearing role of state governments.

— Even as India is becoming more urban, its urban infirmities are putting the brakes on a key locus of innovation and growth. The debates on industrial policy and their role in boosting China’s growth belie the reality that most industrial policies in China are formulated and implemented by its cities and not by bureaucrats in the national or provincial capitals.

— Regardless, debates on Indian federalism can no longer be confined to Centre-state relations. Empowering cities and making their governance more accountable must be integrated into these debates as well. The open-air gas chamber that Delhi has remained for decades is a reminder and indictment of cities being missing in debates on federalism.

Do You Know:

— Urban local bodies (ULBs), i.e. Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, or Nagar Panchayats are the fundamental unit of urban governance in our cities. They are the first point of contact for citizens and are responsible for providing essential services such as waste management, sanitation, and urban planning.

— The first municipal body was established in Madras in 1687, followed by Bombay and Calcutta. In 1882, Lord Ripon (often called as father of local self-government in India) introduced the resolution for local-self governments, thereby laying the foundations of a democratically elected municipal government to manage cities.

— The Part IX-A of the Indian constitution details the compositions, roles and responsibilities of these ULBs and grants them powers to manage a range of services, from urban planning and land use to public health and waste management.

— The 12th Schedule of the constitution specifies 18 functions that are devolved to these ULBs. The amendment also mandated elections every five years, with municipal councillors elected from local constituencies (wards). While the elected mayor serves as the ceremonial head, real executive power rests with the municipal commissioner, a state-appointed bureaucrat.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Significance of empowering local bodies for effective urban governance in India

📍What a government study reveals about the state of panchayats in India

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(4) Local self-government can be best explained as an exercise in (UPSC CSE 2017)

(a) Federalism

(b) Democratic decentralisation

(c) Administrative delegation

(d) Direct democracy

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

The reservation of seats for women in the institutions of local self-government has had a limited impact on the patriarchal character of the Indian Political Process.” Comment. (UPSC CSE 2019)

US extends sanctions waiver for russian crude: What it means

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc

What’s the ongoing story: The US has extended by another month its sanctions waiver on the purchase of Russian crude oil already loaded on tankers.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is India’s oil import from various countries?

— How the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz impacted India’s oil import?

— Why has America imposed restrictions on Russian oil?

— What are the steps taken by India to ensure energy security?

— What are the reasons for the increase in oil prices?

— What are the strategic petroleum reserves? What is its significance?

Key Takeaways:

— The move is aimed at allowing more oil to reach the international market and exerting downward pressure on elevated oil prices due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global crude oil used to pass.

— Notably, earlier on Monday, India—a top destination for Russian crude—had said that it had been buying Moscow’s crude irrespective of the US waiver, and would continue to import it with commercial viability and energy security being the primary considerations.

— In April, too, the waiver had expired, but the US then extended it after a few days, that too after initially announcing that it won’t be renewed. The initial waiver—issued in March—had expired on April 11, but was later renewed on April 17.

— Experts see such waivers as part of the Donald Trump administration’s effort to prevent a sustained spike in international oil prices—and the consequent rise in domestic fuel prices in the US—given the midterm elections later this year.

— But the waiver has attracted criticism from various sections in the US. Critics argue that it is leading to a windfall for Moscow, which would fund its war effort in Ukraine.

— While government officials consistently maintained that India didn’t require a US waiver to buy Russian oil, industry experts said that the waiver actually helped. It enabled Indian refiners to be able to take deliveries of Russian oil even on tankers sanctioned or blocked by the US, and they could deal directly with sanctioned Russian companies like Rosneft and Lukoil.

— Without the waiver, Indian refiners wouldn’t have been able to take deliveries of Russian crude on sanctioned tankers or deal with Russian oil suppliers sanctioned by Washington, as that would have exposed them to the risk of attracting secondary sanctions from the US.

Do You Know:

— India depends on imports to meet over 88% of its crude oil needs; 2.5–2.7 million bpd of India’s crude imports—around half of the overall oil imports—have transited the Strait of Hormuz in recent months, while the longer-term average is around 40%.

— This oil is mainly from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. It is critical for energy exports from West Asia, with one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows usually transiting the chokepoint.

— Higher oil imports from Moscow—New Delhi’s largest source of crude—have partially offset the loss of West Asian barrels from countries like Iraq and Kuwait.

— In February, Indian refiners had imported just over 1 million bpd of Russian crude, almost half of the 2025 peak of over 2 million bpd. Even with the significant reduction in volumes, Russia was India’s largest source of crude in February, accounting for about a fifth of its total oil imports.

— Then, with the war in West Asia raging and the sanctions waiver in place, oil imports from Russia nearly doubled to 2 million bpd in March, accounting for almost 45% of India’s total oil imports for the month, while imports from West Asia crashed, according to tanker data from commodity market analytics firm Kpler.

— In April, imports of Russian crude moderated to 1.6 million bpd, which was mainly due to the Nayara Energy refinery—a heavy consumer of Russian crude—taking a maintenance shutdown. Imports of Russian crude so far in May are pegged at almost 2 million bpd.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍West Asia war: As India’s oil imports from Gulf countries crash, Russian oil flows surge 82% to near-peak levels

📍How UAE’s exit from OPEC presents an opportunity for India’s strategic petroleum reserves

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:

(5) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2018)

1. The quantity of imported edible oil is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years.

2. The Government does not impose any custom duty on all the imported edible oils as a special case.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

The question of India’s Energy Security constitutes the most important part of India’s economic progress. Analyze India’s energy policy cooperation with West Asian Countries. (UPSC CSE 2017)

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

Look beyond strategic autonomy, and closer at the Quad possibility

Syllabus:

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: C. Raja Mohan writes: Those in Delhi who are antsy about US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing and the prospect of a Sino-American détente should be even more worried as Xi Jinping serenades Vladimir Putin in Beijing this week.

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are India’s concerns with increased Chinese closeness with the USA and Russia?

— What are India’s concerns with China?

— How is India readjusting its relationship with Western countries amidst changing geopolitics of the world?

— What is the significance of QUAD for India?

— Understand the significance of Russia and the USA for India?

Key Takeaways:

— Those perennially anxious about a G-2 between the US and China should worry even more about China’s deepening partnership with Russia. One of the core arguments for Russia’s centrality in India’s national strategy is that it serves as a balancing power in Eurasia.

— If Trump’s visit was about moving the US from confrontation to stabilisation of ties with China, Putin’s is about celebrating the strategic partnership unveiled 25 years ago. Since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has become even more dependent on China. What do the two pilgrimages to Beijing mean for India?

— First, India should not be rattled by every shift in great-power relations. Since World War II, relations among the US, China and Russia have changed repeatedly, often violently. Taken in pairs, they have been allies, friends, enemies and frenemies at different moments. Dealing with that change is part of the national mandate.

— Second, the real challenge for India is addressing the consequences of China’s rise and assertion.

— For India, the problem is especially acute: A long, disputed and tension-prone boundary; Beijing’s growing influence in India’s neighbourhood; an expanding Chinese footprint in global institutions; and a trade deficit now above $110 billion, rooted in India’s deepening dependence on Chinese manufactured goods.

— Third, the answer lies partly in accelerating India’s own rise. Shifts in great-power relations, the emergence of wars and global crises — these are variables India cannot control. What it can drive is its own modernisation.

— Fourth, India cannot close the gap with China anytime soon, but it can reduce the impact of the power imbalance through external cooperation that reinforces internal self-strengthening.

— Elevation of that engagement to higher levels is obstructed by an enduring suspicion of the US and the West in the Indian political mind, across Left and Right. Anti-imperialists and nativists alike have long united in limiting significant Western cooperation.

— It is this sentiment that gives sustenance to the idea of “strategic autonomy” — a term framed as neutral, but whose political content has always been about maintaining distance from the West.

— The Indian discourse may have acquired “strategic autonomy” from the imperatives on the ground, but the government has had no choice but to reconnect foreign policy to first principles, reflected in the fact that India fought to preserve its trade relationship with the US, has pushed hard for a trade deal with the EU, and has focussed on deeper technology cooperation with both in the last two years.

— Hosting the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting early next week follows the same logic. The Quad’s revival a decade ago was rooted in the need to build a multipolar Asia amid intensifying challenges from China.

— The enthusiasm to write obituaries for the Quad may be both premature and excessive. The visit of Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who also serves as Trump’s National Security Adviser — provides a valuable opportunity to get a first-hand account of the US-China summit, assess Washington’s changing approach to alliances, and develop a productive and sustainable agenda for the Quad.

Do You Know:

— China has become Russia’s top trading partner. Beijing is now the top customer for Russian oil and gas supplies, and Moscow expects the war in Iran to increase the demand. China has also ignored demands from the West to stop providing high-tech components for Russia’s weapons industries.

— Russia and China have come to a “general understanding” on the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline — a major project set to transport up to 50 billion cubic metres of gas annually to China.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍In a shifting world order, five principles should guide India’s diplomacy

📍Putin says Russia ready to work with US, discusses it with Xi during bilateral talks

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (UPSC CSE 2020)

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PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (d)   2. (b)   3. (a)    4. (b)    5. (a)

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