6 October: the SCO and India
Tuesday 6 October 2026
GS Paper 2 · 250 words · 15 marks
Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO. What importance does it hold for India?
(UPSC Mains 2021, GS Paper 2, Q19)
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How to approach this question
What the question asks.
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| Critically examine the aims and objectives | State the aims, then test each against the record |
| Of SCO | Founding, members and its two permanent bodies, in two lines |
| What importance does it hold for India? | Specific gains, and the limits on them |
A shape that works in 250 words.
- Introduction. When it was founded, and who the members are.
- Aims. Three lines.
- How far they are met. Two or three limits, each with a dated example.
- Importance for India. Three or four gains, each with an example.
- Conclusion. How India should use the SCO.
What to avoid.
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Only listing the aims | "Critically examine" asks how far they are met |
| "The SCO is dominated by China" with no example | Name a statement or project, with a year |
| Treating India's membership as all gain | Say what the SCO cannot do for India |
| Ending on "India should play a bigger role" | Say what India should use it for |
A model answer
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) grew out of the Shanghai Five of 1996 and was founded in 2001. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024, making ten members.
Aims and objectives
- Mutual trust and good-neighbourliness among members.
- Joint action against terrorism, separatism and extremism, through the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent.
- Cooperation in trade, energy, transport and culture.
How far they are met
- Members disagree on what counts as terrorism. In June 2025, India refused to sign the defence ministers' statement in Qingdao because it left out the Pahalgam attack.
- Decisions need consensus, so one member can block a statement.
- China carries the most weight. India is the only member that has not endorsed the Belt and Road Initiative, whose corridor runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
- Disputes between India and China, and India and Pakistan, limit trust.
Importance for India
- Central Asia. A regular forum with Central Asian states that Pakistan's territory otherwise separates from India.
- Terrorism. A platform to raise cross-border terrorism. The 2025 Tianjin Declaration condemned the Pahalgam attack, and Pakistan signed it.
- Strategic autonomy. India sits in the SCO and the Quad at once.
- Leadership. India chaired the SCO in 2023 under the theme SECURE.
Conclusion
The SCO's aims are broad, and its record is uneven. India gains most by using it for Central Asia and counter-terrorism, and by refusing statements that weaken its position on terrorism and sovereignty.
Word count: 237.
Why this answer works. It tests the aims against dated events, as "critically examine" requires. The India section gives four separate gains. The conclusion says what India should use the SCO for.
Where it could be stronger. It could name one connectivity project, such as Chabahar or the International North-South Transport Corridor, and say how the SCO helps or does not.