Mains Practice Questions

Introduction

India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, aims to foster a peaceful, prosperous, and stable South Asian region. This policy navigates the complex interplay between ensuring strategic-security imperatives and promoting regional economic integration through connectivity, cooperation, and multilateral engagement.

Body

Strategic and Security Concerns:

• Border and Territorial Security: India shares contentious borders with China (Line of Actual Control) and Pakistan (Line of Control), which have led to multiple conflicts, notably the 1962 Sino-Indian war and ongoing tensions with Pakistan.
  • India’s policy prioritizes maintaining peace and countering threats from terrorism, cross-border infiltration, and external influence, particularly from Pakistan.
• Managing External Influence: China’s increasing footprint in South Asia via the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) challenge India’s strategic interests.
  • India counters this by strengthening ties with other neighbours, providing alternative connectivity projects like the Chabahar port (Iran) and Kaladan multimodal project (Myanmar).
• Promotion of Regional Stability: India supports democratic institutions and development projects to promote stability in immediate neighbours like Nepal and Bangladesh, which indirectly bolster regional security.

Objectives and Efforts Toward Regional Economic Integration:

• Enhancing Connectivity: India actively promotes regional connectivity via initiatives like the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) network and the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway.
  • These projects aim to ease movement of goods and people, reduce trade costs, and integrate markets.
• Multilateral Frameworks: India engages with regional organizations like SAARC, BIMSTEC, and IORA to promote economic cooperation, though SAARC’s effectiveness is limited by Indo-Pak tensions. BIMSTEC serves as a more pragmatic platform bridging South and Southeast Asia.
• Trade and Economic Cooperation: Despite having the lowest intra-regional trade globally (~5%), India pursues preferential trade agreements and aims to liberalize trade within South Asia.
  • Development assistance through programs like ITEC and Vaccine Maitri enhances economic goodwill and capacity building.
• People-to-People Exchanges: India fosters cultural, educational, and technological exchanges to deepen regional ties, thereby supporting economic integration and stability.

Conclusion

India’s neighbourhood policy is a complex balancing act seeking to harmonize its strategic-security imperatives with aspirations for regional economic integration.Continued efforts to resolve disputes, enhance connectivity, and deepen economic ties are crucial for fulfilling the vision of a peaceful and economically vibrant neighbourhood.