Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements

What the official syllabus says

Main Examination, General Studies II:

• Bilateral, Regional and Global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interest.

Topics in detail

Bilateral relations and agreements

• United States: civil nuclear agreement (2008), defence agreements (LEMOA 2016, COMCASA 2018, BECA 2020), technology co-operation, trade issues
• Russia: the legacy of the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Co-operation (1971); special and privileged strategic partnership; defence and energy ties
• Japan: special strategic and global partnership; Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail
• France, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union; Australia; the Gulf countries and Israel
• Africa and Latin America: India-Africa Forum Summit, development partnership
• 2+2 ministerial dialogues (foreign and defence ministers) with partners such as the USA, Japan, Australia and Russia

Regional groupings

• SAARC and BIMSTEC; Indian Ocean Rim Association (1997); Mekong-Ganga Co-operation (2000)
• ASEAN: dialogue partnership, the ASEAN-India trade in goods agreement, comprehensive strategic partnership (2022); East Asia Summit
• Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (India a full member since 2017)
• Quad (India, USA, Japan, Australia); I2U2; India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (2023); Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
• India's decision not to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (2019)
• BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement (2015); Colombo Security Conclave for maritime security in the Indian Ocean

Global groupings

• G20: origin (1999) and leaders' summits (from 2008); India's presidency (2023) and the admission of the African Union
• BRICS (2009) and its expansion; the New Development Bank
• Non-Aligned Movement (1961), G77, Commonwealth; G7 outreach
• International Solar Alliance (2015) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (2019), both started by India

Agreements involving or affecting India

• Trade agreements: with Sri Lanka, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Mauritius, the UAE (CEPA, 2022), Australia (ECTA, 2022) and the EFTA countries (TEPA, 2024)
• Climate: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Paris Agreement (2015), India's nationally determined contributions
• Non-proliferation regimes: India and the NPT and CTBT; membership of MTCR (2016), Wassenaar Arrangement (2017) and Australia Group (2018); the Nuclear Suppliers Group bid
• Agreements between other countries that affect India: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, AUKUS, OPEC+ production decisions
• Water treaties with neighbours: Indus Waters Treaty (Pakistan), Ganga Water Treaty (Bangladesh), Mahakali Treaty (Nepal)
• Connectivity: Chabahar port in Iran (long-term operating agreement, 2024) and the International North-South Transport Corridor

How to study a grouping or agreement

• Members, origin and aims; institutions and decision-making
• India's interests: trade, security, energy, technology, standing in the world
• Limits and criticisms; overlap with other groupings; India's strategic autonomy

Overlaps

• International Institutions and Agencies: the formal bodies behind these groupings.
• General Studies III: challenges of international security and nuclear proliferation.