International RelationsImportant2025-11-17

SCO Heads of State Council Meeting in Moscow

Q: Which of the following statements regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and India's engagement is/are correct? 1. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is a permanent organ of the SCO headquartered in Tashkent. 2. India joined the SCO as a founding member in 2001.

A. 1 only — Statement 1 is correct as RATS is a permanent SCO organ based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Statement 2 is incorrect because India became a full member of the SCO in 2017, not a founding member in 2001.

In News

What Happened

On November 17, 2025, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar represented India at the SCO Heads of State Council Meeting in Moscow. Alongside discussions on regional security, he virtually inaugurated two new Indian Consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg. These diplomatic missions were established to enhance technological and trade ties with Russia's industrial hubs.

Why It Matters

This event highlights India's strategic autonomy and multi-alignment foreign policy. The opening of new consulates deepens India's economic footprint in Russia's regional centers, diversifying bilateral relations beyond traditional defense and energy imports.

Background

History & Context

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was established in 2001, and India became a full member in 2017. India views the bloc as crucial for connecting with Central Asia and countering terrorism through the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). The decision to open consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg was part of India's ongoing push to expand its diplomatic and commercial network in Russia.

What Changed

▶
BEFORE: India's diplomatic presence in Russia was limited to the embassy in Moscow and consulates in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok. NOW: India has expanded its diplomatic footprint with two new consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg.
▶
BEFORE: Bilateral economic interactions with Russia were heavily centralized and largely defense-oriented. NOW: The new consulates actively facilitate localized trade, technology exchanges, and investments in Russia's industrial heartlands.
▶
BEFORE: India's engagement in the SCO often centered mostly on high-level summit declarations. NOW: India is actively utilizing the SCO platform's side events to tangibly expand bilateral institutional presence, such as opening new diplomatic missions.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This event connects to Class 12 Political Science Chapter 3 - US Hegemony in World Politics. It illustrates how India uses a multi-alignment foreign policy to navigate the global order, maintaining strong institutional ties with alternate power centers like Russia and the SCO to maximize its strategic autonomy.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and India's engagement is/are correct? 1. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is a permanent organ of the SCO headquartered in Tashkent. 2. India joined the SCO as a founding member in 2001.

Up next