Store
GS2 · IR

India welcomes UK-Mauritius Chagos treaty

1 min readIndia & NeighbourhoodInternational Relations
Battle IAS current affairs title card: India welcomes UK-Mauritius Chagos treaty (GS2 · IR, 22 May 2025)

What happened

  • India welcomed the treaty signed between the UK and Mauritius returning sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius [MEA].
  • MEA called it the culmination of the decolonisation of Mauritius, following the understanding the two sides reached in October 2024 [MEA].

Background

  • India has consistently supported Mauritius’s claim, in keeping with its position on decolonisation and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity [MEA].

Why it matters

  • India backed a friendly island state on principle, and the outcome also matters for security in the Indian Ocean, which MEA mentions directly.

How to use this in Mains

GS-II Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India

  1. As per MEA (2025-05-22): india welcomed the treaty signed between the UK and Mauritius returning sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius.
  2. India backed a friendly island state on principle, and the outcome also matters for security in the Indian Ocean, which MEA mentions directly.
Quotable data point

MEA called it the culmination of the decolonisation of Mauritius, following the understanding the two sides reached in October 2024.

MEA: Statement on Chagos Treaty, 22 May 2025

Exam angle

UPSC

Prelims: Chagos Archipelago, Diego Garcia, location in the Indian Ocean. · Mains: India-Mauritius ties; decolonisation and international law.

Practice MCQs

Original practice questions (not PYQs).

Practice · UPSC

Diego Garcia is part of

Answer (b) & explanation

MEA release.

Go deeper

ExplainerIndus Waters Treaty, 1960: The Indus River System, How the Waters Were Divided, India’s Rights, Kishenganga and Ratle Disputes, and the 2025 Abeyance (UPSC Notes + PYQs)ExplainerIndia-Pakistan Relations: Partition, Kashmir, Four Wars, Simla Agreement, Indus Waters Treaty, Cross-Border Terrorism and Operation Sindoor (UPSC Notes + PYQs)

Official source: MEA: Statement on Chagos Treaty, 22 May 2025

facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending