Chapter 2 · Topic 2.3 · Prelims + Mains3 of 3
India and its Neighbourhood: Eastern and Himalayan neighbours and review
Key points
- The 100th Amendment Act, 2015 gave effect to the India-Bangladesh land boundary agreement.
- Teesta water sharing is pending. The Rangeet rises in Sikkim and joins the Teesta.
- Madhesi are linked to Nepal and Rohingya to Myanmar.
- Bhutan is India's closest hydropower partner. Doklam showed Chinese pressure near the tri-junction.
- Textiles are an important item of India-Bangladesh trade (Prelims 2020).
Prelims box: facts and traps
| Tool | Nepal | Bhutan |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Hydropower trade | Hydropower projects |
| Connectivity | Rail and road links, open border | Roads, trade routes |
| Security | Open border management | Coordination near the tri-junction |
- Trap: Kurds are not a Bangladesh community.
Bangladesh and Myanmar
Neighbours who share a long wall must agree on where it runs. The Constitution (One Hundredth Amendment) Act, 2015 did this with Bangladesh. It gave effect to the exchange of territories, small pockets of land called enclaves, under the land boundary agreement (Constitution of India, Appendix I).
Mains 2013 asked what the Shahbag Square protests in Dhaka, which showed a split between nationalists and Islamic forces, mean for India. A secular, stable Bangladesh helps India’s security in the North-East, connectivity and trade. Radical forces can fuel cross-border militancy and anti-India feeling.
The protests in Shahbag Square in Dhaka in Bangladesh reveal a fundamental split in society between the nationalists and Islamic forces. What is its significance for India?
Prelims 2017 asked about river Teesta, a key water-sharing issue with Bangladesh. Only statement 2 is correct: river Rangeet originates in Sikkim and is a tributary (a smaller river that joins a bigger one) of the Teesta. Answer (b).
With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements : 1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim. 2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta. 3. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) · UPSC official key
Prelims 2016 matched communities in the news with countries. Madhesi with Nepal and Rohingya with Myanmar are correct. Kurds are not linked to Bangladesh. Answer (c): 2 and 3.
Consider the following pairs : Community sometimes mentioned in the news In the affairs of 1. Kurd Bangladesh 2. Madhesi Nepal 3. Rohingya Myanmar Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- 1 and 2
- 2 only
- 2 and 3
- 3 only
Show answer
Answer: (c) · UPSC official key
Prelims 2023 tested India’s connectivity projects (the East-West Corridor, the Trilateral Highway via Myanmar, the BCIM corridor). Answer (d): none of the three statements is correct.
With reference to India’s projects on connectivity, consider the following statements : 1. East-West Corridor under Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat. 2. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiang Mai in Thailand via Myanmar. 3. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kunming in China. How many of the above statements are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
Answer: (d) · UPSC official key
Nepal, Bhutan and South Asian trade
Nepal and Bhutan are tied to India by open borders, where people cross without a visa, plus hydropower and culture. Nepal’s Madhesi community lives along the India border and has family across it. Bhutan is India’s closest hydropower partner. Chinese pressure near the tri-junction, the point where three countries meet (as at Doklam), is a shared security worry.
Prelims 2020 tested three claims on South Asian trade. Answer (b): only statement 2 is correct: “Textile and textile articles” are an important item of trade between India and Bangladesh.
Consider the following statements : 1. The value of Indo-Sri Lanka trade has consistently increased in the last decade. 2. “Textile and textile articles” constitute an important item of trade between India and Bangladesh. 3. In the last five years, Nepal has been the largest trading partner of India in South Asia. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 only
- 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (b) · UPSC official key
| Tool | Nepal | Bhutan |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Hydropower trade | Hydropower projects |
| Connectivity | Rail and road links, open border | Roads, trade routes |
| Security | Open border management | Coordination near the tri-junction |
What UPSC asks: Prelims: the 100th Amendment, Teesta, communities in news. Mains: Bangladesh’s stability and hydropower ties with Nepal and Bhutan.
Mains box: analysis and answer points
- Bangladesh: a secular, stable neighbour helps North-East security and connectivity (Shahbag, Mains 2013).
- Nepal and Bhutan: open borders, hydropower, China near the tri-junction.
- Next likely angle: South Asian trade and connectivity.
Practice
Practice MCQs (8)
With reference to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), consider the following statements:
1. Afghanistan became its eighth member at the 14th SAARC Summit held in New Delhi in 2007.
2. Its permanent Secretariat is located in Colombo.
3. Its Charter excludes bilateral and contentious issues from its deliberations.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
SAARC was established on 8 December 1985 with the adoption of its Charter in Dhaka. Statement 1 is correct: Afghanistan was admitted as the eighth member at the 14th Summit in New Delhi in April 2007. Statement 2 is wrong: the SAARC Secretariat is in Kathmandu, Nepal. Statement 3 is correct: Article X of the Charter says decisions at all levels are taken on the basis of unanimity and that bilateral and contentious issues are excluded from deliberations. Hence 1 and 3 only.
In March 2020, at a video conference of SAARC leaders, India proposed a COVID-19 Emergency Fund. Which one of the following correctly describes that proposal?
Answer (d) & explanation
At the video conference of SAARC leaders convened at India's initiative on 15 March 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a COVID-19 Emergency Fund based on voluntary contributions from all the countries, with India making an initial offer of US$ 10 million. Any of the partner countries could use the fund to meet the cost of immediate actions. In the same address India offered a rapid response team of doctors and specialists, online training for emergency response staff, the software behind its Integrated Disease Surveillance Portal, and suggested a common research platform. Nothing in the proposal involved GDP- based assessed shares, financing by the Asian Development Bank, or any amendment of the SAARC Charter.
The Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), which entered into force on 1 January 2006, was signed at the SAARC Summit held in:
Answer (d) & explanation
SAFTA was signed at the 12th SAARC Summit in Islamabad on 6 January 2004 and entered into force on 1 January 2006. It succeeded the SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA), the first step of trade liberalisation. Dhaka (1985) was the founding summit; Kathmandu (2014) was the 18th and last summit held so far.
Consider the following pairs: SAARC body — Location
1. SAARC Development Fund — Thimphu
2. South Asian University — New Delhi
3. SAARC Cultural Centre — Kathmandu
4. SAARC Agriculture Centre — Islamabad
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Answer (b) & explanation
As per the MEA's India-SAARC brief (June 2026), the regional centres are the SAARC Agriculture Centre (Dhaka), the SAARC Culture Centre (Colombo), the SAARC Energy Centre (Islamabad) and the SAARC TB and AIDS Centre (Kathmandu). The specialised bodies include the SAARC Development Fund (Thimphu), the South Asian University (New Delhi), the SAARC Arbitration Council (Islamabad) and SARSO (Dhaka). So pairs 1 and 2 are correct; 3 and 4 are wrong. Hence only two.
Consider the following statements about India–Nepal connectivity and development cooperation:
1. The Jaynagar–Bijalpura–Bardibas rail link is Nepal's first broad gauge railway line.
2. The Motihari–Amlekhgunj pipeline is the first cross-border petroleum products pipeline in South Asia.
3. The Raxaul–Kathmandu railway line has been completed and is in passenger service.
4. After the 2015 earthquake, India announced a US$ 1 billion reconstruction package for Nepal, comprising grant and a concessional line of credit.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statement 1 is correct: the MEA calls the Jaynagar–Bijalpura–Bardibas link Nepal's first broad gauge line; its first passenger service ran in April 2022. Statement 2 is correct: the Motihari–Amlekhgunj pipeline, jointly inaugurated on 10 September 2019, is South Asia's first cross-border petroleum products pipeline. Statement 3 is wrong: Raxaul–Kathmandu is still at the survey and planning stage. Statement 4 is correct: India announced a US$ 1 billion package (US$ 250 million grant and US$ 750 million line of credit). Hence three.
Consider the following pairs: Integrated Check Post — Neighbouring country across the border
1. Jogbani — Nepal
2. Sutarkandi — Bangladesh
3. Srimantapur — Bhutan
4. Dera Baba Nanak (Passenger Terminal Building) — Pakistan
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Answer (c) & explanation
Pair 1 is correct: the Jogbani ICP in Bihar is on the Nepal border and was operationalised in 2016. Pair 2 is correct: Sutarkandi in Assam is an ICP on the Bangladesh border, operationalised in 2019. Pair 3 is wrong: Srimantapur in Tripura is an ICP on the Bangladesh border, operationalised in 2020; India has no ICP of that name on the Bhutan border. Pair 4 is correct: the Passenger Terminal Building at Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab serves pilgrims using the Kartarpur Corridor into Pakistan and was opened in 2019. All four appear, with their neighbouring countries, in the Government's list of operational ICPs (PIB). Three pairs are correctly matched.
With reference to the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) programme, consider the following statements:
1. The Asian Development Bank serves as its secretariat.
2. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal were its founding members in 2001.
3. Myanmar, though a member of ASEAN, became a full member of SASEC in 2017.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (d) & explanation
All three statements are correct. SASEC is a project-based partnership in which the Asian Development Bank acts as secretariat; it is not a SAARC body. It was set up in 2001 by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, the same four countries that make up the BBIN sub- region. The Maldives and Sri Lanka joined in May 2014, and Myanmar became a full member in February 2017, taking membership to seven. Myanmar's ASEAN membership was no bar, because SASEC is a project programme, not a trade bloc with exclusive membership; its entry lets SASEC corridors link South Asia with South-East Asia. SASEC works on transport, trade facilitation, energy and economic corridors through an operational plan.
Consider the following statements about India–Nepal power cooperation:
1. In January 2024 the two countries agreed on long-term power trade under which India would import up to 10,000 MW from Nepal over ten years.
2. The 900 MW Arun-3 hydroelectric project in Nepal is being developed by SJVN, an Indian public sector undertaking.
3. Under a tripartite agreement signed in October 2024, Nepal sells electricity to Bangladesh through the Indian grid.
4. A Joint Vision Statement on Power Sector Cooperation was issued in April 2022.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (d) & explanation
All four are correct. The long-term power trade agreement of 4 January 2024 envisages India importing up to 10,000 MW from Nepal within ten years. Arun-3 (900 MW) is being built by SJVN. On 3 October 2024 Nepal, India and Bangladesh signed a tripartite agreement for Nepal to sell 40 MW to Bangladesh through the Indian grid; the first flow took place on 15 November 2024. The Joint Vision Statement on Power Sector Cooperation was issued on 2 April 2022 during the Nepali Prime Minister's visit to India.
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In 150 words, explain the significance of India and its Neighbourhood with one recent example.
Flashcards (5)
Amendment for Bangladesh LBA?
100th, 2015.
Rangeet is tributary of?
Teesta.
Rohingya linked to?
Myanmar.
Madhesi linked to?
Nepal.
India-Bangladesh trade item?
Textiles.
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Next chapter · 3. Bilateral Relations with Major Powers →Bilateral Relations with Major Powers: USA and Russia