Day 87 – Q 4.What advantages have accrued to India after her membership of the SCO? How can India benefit in the long run? Discuss.

4. What advantages have accrued to India after her membership of the SCO? How can India benefit in the long run? Discuss. 

एससीओ की सदस्यता के बाद भारत को क्या फायदे हुए हैं? लंबे समय में भारत को कैसे फायदा हो सकता है? चर्चा करें। 

Introduction:

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance. It was created in 2001. Its member countries China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan

It is the largest regional organisation in the world in terms of geographical coverage and population, covering three-fifths of the Eurasian continent and nearly half of the human population.

Body

Advantages to India from membership of the SCO 

Strategic advantage

• SCO’s relevance for India lies in geography, economics and geopolitics.
• SCO cover huge landmass adjacent to India’s extended neighbourhood, where India has important economic and security interests.
• Stronger relations with Central Asian republics and a new opportunity to pursue the “Connect Central Asian Policy”.

Economy

• SCO holds immense opportunities for India to bolster its trade linkages with Central Asia, a resource rich region.
• SCO membership is also positively linked with development of International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Chabahar port, both directed towards expanding transport and reducing costs of trade.

Diplomacy

• Harmonious cooperation in the SCO may pave the way for an India-Pakistan rapprochement.
• SCO membership had facilitated resolution of China’s boundary disputes with Russia and Central Asian countries.

Security 

• Qingdao Declaration by the SCO member states leader’s calls for prioritizing the implementation of the Cooperation Programme to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism.
• The SCO’s regional anti-terrorist structure, Anti-Drug Strategy for 2018-2023 and Prevention of the Abuse of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances will be helpful. 

India would be able to seek mutually beneficial partnerships with SCO members in human capital creation, technology, education, and policy convergence in regional trade.

How can India benefit in the long run?

• Indian recently signed MoU regarding export of non-Basmati rice, earlier denied access on phytosanitary ground. More such MoUs must be signed. 
• India has also signed a MoU in concerned the sharing of hydrological information on Brahmaputra. 
• It also enables the Chinese side to provide hydrological data if water level exceeds mutually agreed level during non-flood season.
• Active participation in counter terror exercises and military drills.
• Transport, energy, e-commerce, information and communication technologies, tourism, agriculture, banking and finance can be made priority areas, with the prospect of expanding the use of national currencies in trade and investment activities.

Conclusion

India has to carve out a political and economic space for itself in Central Asia, alongside Russia’s role as net security provider and China’s dominating economic presence. The Central Asian countries would welcome India breaking into this Russia-China duopoly.