FOREIGN POLICY:

  • Foreign Policy. (Comprehensive & mutually beneficial). Peaceful neighbor, permits focus on domestic tasks). LEP 1991. (India focused too much on SAARC & ASEAN. P 1. ASEAN Core. Trade & investment focus. P2. (>= 2003. Australia —> East Asia. ASEAN Core. Diverse Area focus). Mekong Ganga Co operation. (Vientiane Declaration 2000). Why LEP not < 1991. (Colony => West orientation. Economically less developed => not attractive trade partner. Own Protectionist policy. Myanmmar & East Pakistan denied transit. Opposite side of Cold war). LEP & NEI. (NEI K/a “Gateway to Asian century”. India built Sittwwe Road, Optical fiber network b/w NEI & SEA. Kaladan Multi Modal Transport i.e, Connect Eastern ports and Sitwwe port. Then by river & road to Mizoram, Thus, alternate route. Issues. (Geographical. Political. Security. Technical)). 
    • Bangladesh Water dispute. (Farrake barrage over Hoogly. Lean water in dry seasons, flood during monsoons, as India releases excess water. Dispute over Teesta river with West Bengal and Feni river with Tripura). Economic. (Bangladesh Trade deficit).
    • India Myanmmar Strategic. (Treaty of Friendship 1951). Economic. (BIPA & DTAA. India offered Credit for Sittwe SEZ. Indian Co invested in Oil & gas). Strategic Significance. (Diplomacy. (LEP part. Gateway b/w India and ASEAN and beyond. Pressure point a/t China. Large diaspora there). Shares boundary. Economic. (Large NG reserves).  IIGs. (Use NW Myanmmar as base, 3rd country supply arms through Myanmmar. Solution. (Dialogue mechaisms, Sign Legal Agreements like Defense Co operation).
    • India & Vietnam. (Pressure points a/t China. Both use Russian defense platforms => Offer Brahmos Mini. Given right to use Nha Tarang port). 
    • Look West Policy. (Coincided Gulf’s LEP. Economic, energy security etc. UNSC Membership. Initially Egypt, Palestine and Iraq were focus,  later Isreal, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Complementary. (GCC capital rich region, needs to invest while India Capital deficient. West Asia 35% remittance). South Asia Significance. (Emerging economy. Centralized location with choak point. 30% Population => Market, trade, investment etc. Counter China). India Policy towards South Asia. (> 1991 to 2004, Gujral doctrine. > 2004 Look south policy for stability in Bangladesh, Maldives etc). 
    • India Nepal. (Historical ties. Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Citizen avail facilities same as Indians. Open border. Overcome dis advantage of being land locked country. Development project. Largest trade partner & investor. Also, tourist arrival. ISI pushes FICN through Nepal. Trade Treaty 1996 revised 2009. Modernizing Nepal Army. Constitutional crisis. (Lack of consensus among Nepali Congress, Maoists, CPN and Madhesis. Madhesis want Presidential form, other Parliamentary. Madhesis & Maoist want provinces based on ethinicity and other based on administrative & geographical convinience. India provided technical support like EVM and training).
    • India and Bhutan. (British protectorate till 1947 > became India de facto protectorate. Indo Bhutan treaty 1949. Significance. (In Look South Policy, sees all neighbors as “First wall of defense. And Bhutan as buffer zone b/w India and China). Largest trade, aid and investment source. 1/2 FYP Funding. Military training).
    • India Lanka. (Largest trade partner of Lanka globally. India Lanka FTA 2000. Issues. (Humane detention of fishermen). 13th Amendment. (Complete devolution of power is not possible as devolution might lead to situation of civil war once again).
    • India Pakistan IWT. (India exclusive right to use 3 Eastern rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi; while Pakistan 3 western rivers Indus, Chenab and Jhelum. Does not account demographic changes and water need. Pakistan is building Neelam Jhelum HPP downstream. Wullar barrage project 1987 on Jhelum still unresolved). 
    • Central Asia. (Oil & gas in Caspean sea. Amu & Syr Darya HPP. Qaraganda Coal. Uranium imports from Uzbekistan & Kazakistan). Significance for India. (Balance China as 3 have boundary with China. India wants military bases in Kyrgystan and Tajikistan. In Tajikistan has AF base. Energy Security. TAPI Pipeline. Two roads from Chahbahar port (Iran Babol (North Iran) Ashtrakhan (Russia) to Moscow. 2nd Chahabahar Afghanistan to Tajikistan. Important player in West Pakistan). 
    • India Afghanistan. (As per Rafael doctrine, US supports Taliban rule).
    • India China Trade Deficit. (Product approval cycles very long, limitations on generic drugs & clinical trials repetition. For IT industries, SI certificate & Security clearance required + SPS barriers. Withholding tax is very high on IT sector. China dumping its product). China Pakistan Economic Corridor. (In disputed area b/w India and Pakistan. A/q, Shimla accord no one can develop infrastructure here. To counter, developing Trans Asian Highway and Trans Asian Continental railway with UNDP & ADB help). 
    • India Russia. (Strategic Partner 2000. Space. (Co operated in Moon Mission Chandrayaan, and Human Space Flight Project. Both jointly developed Indo Russian Youth satellite “Youthsat). Defense. (Only state willing to share defense technology of Strategic nature. Remains key weapon supplier. Leased nuclear powered submarine Akula 2). Issues. (Indo US ties, USSR Pak/ China ties). India USA. (Strategic Partner 2010.  Issues. (Higher FDI in Defense, Insurance). 
    • India UK. (Strategic partner. Supports UNSC Membership. India 2nd largest student source & Immigration issue).Civil nuclear Co operation Agreement 2010. UK 2nd largest source of foreign tourist).  
    • India France. (Strategic Partner 1998. 1st Country to enter Civil Nuclear Co operation > NSG Waiver. Supports UNSC Membership. Areva & EPR NPP at Jaitpur. Space. (ISRO & France CNES collaboration for about 4 decades. Joint mission like SARAL & Megha tropics. Lauches on Commercial basis by Ariane). Defense. (Rafale for 126 MMRCA. Scorpene Submarine and French Mirrage figher aircraft). Education. (Educational Exchange Programme). 
    • India Germany. (Largest Europe trade partner. Strategic partner since 2000. Defense Co operation Agreement 2006).
    • India Aus. (Strategic Partner 2009. Supports UNSC Membership. Defense Co operation Agreement. Important player in APEC & supports its membership). 
    • World Crisis Zones. (Reason. (Religion, ethinicity, region or historical. Lation America (Venezuela v Columbia I.e, Communism v Captalism). Africa (Done). West and Central Asia. (Shia Sunni divide. E.g, WANA. Isreal, Syria, Iraq etc). South Asia. (Economy, Geo strategy position in IO. E.g, Maldives & Lanka. Historical relation e.g, Indo Pak China relations). East Asia. (Islam v Christian & Geo strategic location in IO).
    • India and Maldives. (Support UNSC Membership).

OTHERS:

  • Inclusiveness means. (Poverty Reduction, Group Equality & Regional balance). 12th Plan targets. (Clean 100% river by 2020. Meet NAAQS in Urban areas by 2017. Green 5 Million Ha under Green India Mission including 1.5 M Ha degraded land, afforestation etc). LARR. (Compensation 2 times Market rate in Urban areas and 2 – 4 times in Rural areas). Inclusive Urban areas. (Phase 2 of Rajiv Awas Yojana. (Give property rights to slum dwellers. Madates enact legislation, to earmark 10 – 15% of land or 20 – 25% dwelling units for EWS/ LIG category and earmark > 25% Municipal budget for Urban poor). 
    • National Land Record Modernization Prog 2008. (Lag b/w Registration & Mutation causes litigation, fraud etc. Thus, need real time land records & automatic mutation. Online records with security. Single window service etc. Abolition of Stamp duty & payment through bank to reduce interface).  
    • Regional Equality. (Special Areal Program like HADP, WGDP, BADP etc. Centrally Sponsered Scheme. Increasing inequality. (Higher growth of high GSDP States. Rate of population growth in low GSDP high. Inequality within state themselves. E.g, N BR, Koraput, Bolangir, JH Tribal areas etc. 3rd Rural & Urban inequality).  
    • Solution to regional inequality. (FC Awards (U/A 275), Plan transfer (U/A 282). Central gov efforts: CSS i.e, direct investment into less developed regions. Special areal development prog E.g, BRGF, IAP etc). 
    • NER Development. (NE Council Under NEC Act 1971 for regional planning. Non Lapsable Pool of Central Resource i.e, 10% Ministry outlay earmarked. Power: Pasighat Declaration, Mini HPP etc. Bonaigaon TPP. Advanced Landing Ground AP. Greenfield airport at Itanagar). 

LOOK WEST POLICY: 2010:

  • To engage with West Asian neighbors. (India considers them extended neighbor). Engagement gathered momentum. (Similar perspective on terrorism and piracy, India’s emerging status). Policy. (Singh visited Oman & Qatar in 2008. In 2010 PM visited Saudi Arabia “Riyadh declaration”). Military co operation. (Growing Islam extremism, piracy etc. Signed Defense co operation agreement with UAE, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia).