INTEGRATED MAINS AND PRELIMS MENTORSHIP (IMPM) 2025 Daily KEY
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Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) 2025 and its significance for the UPSC Exam? Why are topics like Digital Census, Line of Actual Control (LAC) , Green Credit Programme (GCP), Cybercrimesimportant for both preliminary and main exams? Discover more insights in the UPSC Exam Notes for September 02 , 2025 |
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a regional intergovernmental organization that was established in 2001 in Shanghai, China. It emerged out of the earlier "Shanghai Five" grouping, which included China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and later expanded into the SCO with the inclusion of Uzbekistan. Over the years, it has grown further, with India and Pakistan becoming full members in 2017, and Iran joining in 2023.
- The primary aim of the SCO is to promote mutual trust, stability, and peace among its member states, while also focusing on political, security, economic, and cultural cooperation.
- Initially, the organization concentrated on security concerns such as combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism in the Central Asian region. However, its scope has gradually widened to include economic collaboration, energy partnerships, infrastructure connectivity, and cultural exchanges.
- The SCO functions as a platform for its members to coordinate on regional security matters and to reduce dependence on Western institutions, especially NATO and Western-led economic systems.
- Given the presence of both China and Russia, the SCO is often seen as a counterbalance to Western influence in Eurasia. It also provides India with a significant opportunity to engage in regional diplomacy, particularly with Central Asia, while managing its complex relations with China and Pakistan within the same grouping.
- Regular summits, ministerial meetings, and joint military exercises such as the "Peace Mission" exercises strengthen the organization’s objectives. Additionally, it has established mechanisms to promote trade, connectivity, and cultural ties among member states.
- The SCO is therefore not just a security bloc but a broad-based regional forum that reflects the shifting dynamics of global geopolitics towards multipolarity
Prelims-Oriented Facts
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Established in 2001 in Shanghai, China.
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Originated from the “Shanghai Five” (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan).
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Current members: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran (2023).
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Headquarters: Beijing, China.
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Official languages: Chinese and Russian.
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India and Pakistan became full members in 2017.
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Focus areas: Regional security, counter-terrorism, trade, connectivity, energy, and cultural cooperation.
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