Regional Groupings (International Relations).
Syllabus: UPSC Mains GS2: India & neighbourhood, groupings, international institutions, diaspora
SCO for UPSC: Shanghai Five, 2001 founding, ten members, RATS in Tashkent, India's 2017 entry and 2023 presidency, terrorism, BRI and Central…
ASEAN for UPSC: Bangkok Declaration 1967, 11 members, Charter, ARF and East Asia Summit, India-ASEAN partnership, AITIGA, RCEP exit and Act East…
BRICS for UPSC: BRIC to BRICS, 2024-25 expansion and partner countries, NDB and CRA, local currency trade, Kazan and Rio summits, India's…
BIMSTEC for UPSC: seven members, Bangkok Declaration 1997, Charter of 2022, seven pillars, Dhaka secretariat, Bangkok summit 2025, connectivity and PYQs.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India at the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 19–20 October 2026. This is the SCO’s second-highest body, and it looks after trade, economy, connectivity and the Organisation’s budget. The last CHG met in Moscow on 18 November 2025, where External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke for India.
UPSC angle: Prelims: SCO members, bodies (CHS, CHG, RATS), founding year, CHG venue. · Mains GS-II: India and regional groupings, Central Asia.
18 Oct 2026
On 14 October 2026 Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh opened the first ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum at MP-IDSA in New Delhi. The two-day meeting brings India and all 11 ASEAN members together on maritime security, emerging tech and defence-industry ties, under the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ASEAN (11 members), MP-IDSA, ADMM-Plus, SAGAR/MAHASAGAR. · Mains GS-II: India–ASEAN defence engagement and Indo-Pacific.
14 Oct 2026
India hosted the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers Meeting in New Delhi on 13 October 2026. The seven member States adopted the Delhi Declaration, condemning terrorism including cross-border terrorism, and called for full use of the BIMSTEC anti-terror and mutual legal assistance conventions. A Disaster Management Centre is planned in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
UPSC angle: Prelims: members, HMM, conventions and dates, Jamnagar centre. · Mains GS-II: regional groupings; India's neighbourhood and security cooperation.
13 Oct 2026
The 15th Joint Committee reviewing the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement met in Jakarta from 6 to 9 October 2026, co-chaired by India and Malaysia. It told all sub-committees to speed up pending chapters with firm, time-bound deliverables. Three of eight sub-committees met, including rules of origin. The next meeting is in India in January 2027.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ASEAN members, AITIGA. · Mains GS-II: regional groupings; GS-III: trade policy.
9 Oct 2026
At the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Milwaukee, USA, concluding on 2 October 2026, India said it has no structural excess capacity in the sectors named by the G20 Presidency. It argued that trade distortions should be handled through WTO-consistent anti-dumping and countervailing duties, backed MFN and consensus, and wanted the two-tier dispute settlement system restored.
UPSC angle: Prelims: MFN; anti-dumping vs countervailing duty. · Mains: Is the MFN principle under threat?
2 Oct 2026
On 25 September 2026 the Indian Coast Guard ship Shaunak sailed from Chennai to Perth, Australia, under the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission. Six Sea Riders from India, Japan, Australia and the United States are on board to build interoperability and trust among Quad coast guards.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Quad members; MAHASAGAR expansion. · Mains: Quad beyond military: maritime domain awareness and coast-guard cooperation.
25 Sep 2026