2023 · GS Paper 2 · Q9 · 10 marks
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.
In short
India mitigates the conflicts straining the SCO by setting norms against terrorism, urging restraint in wars, defending sovereignty-based connectivity and engaging rivals on its sidelines. The Tianjin Declaration of September 2025 condemned the Pahalgam attack after India blocked a silent text at Qingdao.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 306 words
Consensus paralysis
The Qingdao defence ministers' meeting of June 2025 ended without a joint statement because India rejected a text that omitted the Pahalgam attack.
Members at odds
The post-Galwan India-China standoff and the Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes of 2021 and 2022 blunt the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, which needs shared intelligence.
Bloc drift
The Ukraine war and Iran's entry push the forum towards an anti-Western identity.
Norm-setter on terrorism
India chaired the RATS Council in 2021-22 and pressed for naming cross-border terror, and the Tianjin Declaration of 2025 condemned Pahalgam.
Voice of restraint
Modi's "today's era is not of war" at Samarkand in 2022 and India's distance from the SCO statement on strikes on Iran in 2025 keep the forum out of wars.
Sovereignty-respecting connectivity
India declines to endorse the BRI because the CPEC crosses Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, offering Chabahar and the INSTC instead.
Engaging rivals
India hosted Pakistan's foreign minister in Goa in 2023, and Modi met Xi at Tianjin in 2025 after the 2024 border patrolling deal.
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Regional12 questions
Asked in 10 of 14 sittings since 2013
- 2026“IPMDA (Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness) bridges the gap between India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision and the Quad’s collective Indo-Pacific strategy.” Make a critical assessment of the statement focusing on IPMDA.
- 2025"Energy security constitutes the dominant kingpin of India's foreign policy, and is linked with India's overarching influence in Middle Eastern countries." How would you integrate energy security with India's foreign policy trajectories in the coming years?
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2023 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.