Topic: Regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
Q4. Evaluate India’s role in the re-energising of BIMSTEC in the context of SAARC paralysis. Discuss challenges that still constrain BIMSTEC’s strategic depth. (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: InsightsIAS
Why the question:
Ongoing stagnation of SAARC and India’s diplomatic emphasis on BIMSTEC as a functional alternative for regional cooperation.Key Demand of the question:
The answer must explain India’s role in revitalizing BIMSTEC and then critically analyse the structural, political, and institutional challenges that limit its deeper strategic effectiveness.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction:
Define BIMSTEC’s regional significance in the Bay of Bengal context and briefly link to SAARC’s paralysis.Body:
- India’s initiatives in re-energising BIMSTEC (connectivity push, sectoral leadership, security cooperation).
- Challenges that constrain BIMSTEC’s strategic depth (institutional capacity gaps, geopolitical divergences, slow project execution).
Conclusion:
Emphasize that BIMSTEC has potential but requires stronger institutional capacity, sustained political commitment, and timely project delivery to become an effective regional platform.
