Rajnath Singh Leads Indian Delegation at SCO Defence Ministers' Meet
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the Indian delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting, engaging on key issues including regional security, counter-terrorism cooperation, and military modernisation. The SCO, headquartered in Beijing, includes India, China, Pakistan, Russia, and Central Asian nations. India holds full membership since 2017, making SCO ministerial meetings an important platform for India's strategic diplomacy.
Key Facts & Details
10 points- 1Rajnath Singh led India at SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting
- 2SCO is headquartered in Beijing, China
- 3India became a full SCO member in 2017 along with Pakistan
- 4SCO members: India, China, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Belarus
- 5SCO focuses on security, counter-terrorism, and regional economic cooperation
- 6Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is SCO's counter-terrorism arm
Deep Dive
- +SCO was established in 2001; its predecessor was the Shanghai Five (1996)
- +India chairs the SCO in 2023 and hosted the SCO Summit virtually
- +SCO accounts for nearly 40% of world population and 30% of global GDP
- +India-Pakistan relations within SCO remain complex due to bilateral tensions
Exam Focus
Likely MCQ: In which year did India become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? Answer: 2017
Related Topics
Exam Relevance & Angle
International Relations, Defence: SCO, India's multilateral engagements, and defence diplomacy are high-frequency topics for UPSC, SSC, and Banking exams.
Target Exams
Background & Context
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance. Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, and four Central Asian states, it expanded to include India and Pakistan in 2017.
For India, SCO membership provides a platform to engage with Russia and Central Asia while managing the complex dynamics with China and Pakistan within a multilateral framework.
Related GK Concepts
Must KnowTest Yourself
1 / 3In which year did India become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)?
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