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Concept Library · GS 2

International Relations

Groupings, treaties, chokepoints and doctrines behind India's foreign policy news. 667 concepts, each with its definition, key details and a timeline of every news story that touched it.

India's Crude Oil Import Dependence

In the news 5x

India imports approximately 85% of its crude oil requirements, making it the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer. This structural import...

India's Energy Security Policy

In the news 5x

India has pursued a multi-pronged energy security strategy: (1) Geographic diversification of suppliers — reducing dependence on any single source...

India's Energy Security Strategy

In the news 5x

India's energy security doctrine is built on four pillars: diversification of supply sources, building strategic reserves, investing in domestic production...

India's Gulf Diplomacy and Diaspora Dimension

In the news 5x

India maintains close ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman — driven by three...

India's Multi-Alignment Foreign Policy Doctrine

In the news 5x

India's approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict exemplifies its broader foreign policy doctrine of multi-alignment (also termed strategic autonomy). India...

India's Steel Industry

In the news 5x

India's steel sector is central to its industrial development strategy and faces a structural dilemma: it produces competitively priced steel using...

India's Textile and Apparel Industry

In the news 5x

India's textile sector is one of the oldest and largest in the world, contributing approximately 2.3% of GDP, 7% of industrial output, and 12% of total...

India's Textile and Apparel Sector

In the news 5x

India's textile and apparel (T&A) sector is one of the largest industries in the country — the second-largest employer after agriculture, employing...

India's Trade Agreement Architecture

In the news 5x

India has adopted a multi-track approach to trade agreements, pursuing bilateral CEPAs, regional agreements (like AIFTA with ASEAN), and sector-specific...

India's Trade Negotiation Strategy

In the news 5x

India historically has been cautious in trade liberalization — it did not join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2020 and has moved...

India-Brazil Bilateral Relations

In the news 5x

India and Brazil share a multifaceted partnership classified as a Strategic Partnership since 2006. Both are founding members of BRICS, members of IBSA...

India-EU FTA

In the news 5x

The India-EU FTA (formally concluded January 27, 2026) is a Comprehensive Trade and Investment Agreement covering trade in goods, services, investment...

India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC)

In the news 5x

The India-EU Trade and Technology Council is a high-level bilateral coordination mechanism, the first of its kind established by India with any partner. It...

India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (2026)

In the news 5x

The India-New Zealand FTA was concluded in December 2025 after roughly nine months of negotiation — among the fastest-concluded FTAs by India — and formally...

India-Nordic Summit

In the news 5x

The India-Nordic Summit format began with the first edition in Stockholm, Sweden in 2018, followed by the second in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2022. The third...

India-Russia Strategic Partnership

In the news 5x

India and Russia have maintained a 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' formalised in 2010, built on decades of Soviet-era defence, technology...

India-US Interim Trade Agreement (February 2026)

In the news 5x

On 6-7 February 2026, India and the United States announced a framework for an Interim Trade Agreement — the most significant reset in bilateral trade...

India-US Trade Architecture

In the news 5x

India and the US have historically lacked a comprehensive trade agreement. Their trade relationship has been governed by the Trade and Investment Framework...

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

In the news 5x

The IAEA is the United Nations' principal agency for nuclear safeguards, safety, and peaceful applications of nuclear technology. Established by the IAEA...

International Energy Agency (IEA) and Strategic Petroleum Reserves

In the news 5x

The IEA was established in 1974 in response to the 1973–74 Arab oil embargo, which exposed the vulnerability of industrialised countries to oil supply...

International Law of the Sea

In the news 5x

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982) — ratified by 168 states — governs the rights and obligations of states on the world's...

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

In the news 5x

The IMF was established in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference, alongside the World Bank. It became operational in 1945 with 29 founding members; as of...

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

In the news 5x

The IRGC was established in May 1979 following the Islamic Revolution to protect the new theocratic state from internal and external threats. It operates as...

JCPOA and Iran's Nuclear Programme

In the news 5x

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed on 14 July 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China, Germany) plus the EU....

Lipulekh Pass

In the news 5x

Lipulekh Pass is a high-altitude Himalayan pass located in the Kumaon region of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, at an elevation of approximately 5,334...

Loitering Munitions

In the news 5x

A loitering munition (also called a 'kamikaze drone' or 'suicide drone') is an unmanned aerial system that can loiter over a target area for an extended...

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and Inflation Targeting Framework

In the news 5x

India adopted a formal inflation targeting framework through an amendment to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 — specifically Section 45ZA (inserted by...

New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance

In the news 5x

A central debate at recent COPs has been climate finance: how much developed countries will provide to developing nations for mitigation and adaptation. The...

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Iran's Obligations

In the news 5x

The NPT, opened for signature in 1968 and entering into force in 1970, is the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. It has 191 state...

Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C Target

In the news 5x

The Paris Agreement, adopted at COP21 in December 2015 and entered into force in November 2016, is a legally binding international treaty under the United...

Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

In the news 5x

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 metallic elements comprising the 15 lanthanides (lanthanum through lutetium on the periodic table), plus...

Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)

In the news 5x

RATS is the permanent SCO body dedicated to coordinating member states' counter-terrorism efforts. It operates through a shared database of terrorist and...

SAGAR and MAHASAGAR

In the news 5x

SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) is India's overarching vision for the Indian Ocean Region, first articulated by Prime Minister Narendra...

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

In the news 5x

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are a new generation of nuclear reactors with lower capacity (typically under 300 MW per unit) designed for modular...

Southern African Customs Union (SACU)

In the news 5x

SACU is the world's oldest existing customs union, tracing its origins to 1910 and reconstituted under a new agreement in 2002. It comprises five member...

Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) for Developing Countries

In the news 5x

S&DT refers to provisions in WTO agreements that give developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) greater flexibility: longer timeframes to implement...

Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) and Energy Security Policy

In the news 5x

India established a Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) programme under the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) to maintain emergency oil...

Taiwan Question

In the news 5x

The Taiwan Strait's strategic significance derives from the unresolved political status of Taiwan. The People's Republic of China (PRC) claims Taiwan as a...

Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), 1979

In the news 5x

When the US switched diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People's Republic of China in 1979, the US Congress passed the Taiwan...

Tariff-Rate Quota (TRQ) Mechanism

In the news 5x

A Tariff-Rate Quota is a two-tier trade policy instrument: a fixed quantity of a good can be imported at a lower ('in-quota') tariff, while any imports...

Teesta River

In the news 5x

The Teesta River originates from the Teesta Khangtse Glacier in the eastern Himalayas at an altitude above 5,400 metres. It flows for approximately 414 km...

UN Security Council Reform

In the news 5x

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has five permanent members (P5) — the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China — each with veto...

US-China Strategic Competition

In the news 5x

US-China strategic competition has moved beyond trade tariffs into a structural contest over technology, supply chains, and critical minerals. The US CHIPS...

Uranium Enrichment

In the news 5x

Natural uranium contains approximately 0.7% of the fissile isotope Uranium-235 (U-235). Enrichment increases the proportion of U-235 through isotope...

WTO Framework

In the news 5x

The World Trade Organization (WTO) operates on the Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) principle under GATT Article I: any trade advantage a country grants to one...

WTO Ministerial Conference

In the news 5x

The WTO Ministerial Conference is the WTO's highest decision-making body, meeting every two years. Decisions are typically made by consensus, giving any WTO...

West Asia Geopolitics

In the news 5x

Iran operates in a complex regional geopolitical environment, leading a coalition of allied state and non-state actors (Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza...

16th Finance Commission

In the news 4x

The Finance Commission is a constitutional body under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution, constituted every five years to recommend the distribution of...

ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA)

In the news 4x

The AITIGA, which came into force in 2010, is the foundational trade pact between India and the 10-nation ASEAN bloc. It reduced tariffs on over 4,000...

Artemis Accords

In the news 4x

The Artemis Accords are a set of bilateral agreements between the United States (through NASA) and partner nations, establishing principles for the civil...

Axis of Resistance

In the news 4x

The 'Axis of Resistance' (Mehwar al-Muqawama) is the term used for the network of state and non-state actors aligned with Iran against Israel and US...

Beneficial Ownership

In the news 4x

'Beneficial ownership' refers to the actual ultimate owner who enjoys the economic benefits of an investment, even if the legal/registered owner is...

Bilateral Trade Agreements

In the news 4x

A bilateral trade agreement requires a detailed legal text that converts political commitments into enforceable obligations. The legal text typically covers...

BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile

In the news 4x

BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya...

CEPA

In the news 4x

A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is a broader form of trade agreement than a conventional Free Trade Agreement (FTA). While an FTA...

Chabahar Port and India's Connectivity Strategy

In the news 4x

Chabahar Port, located on Iran's southeastern coast on the Gulf of Oman, is India's most significant overseas port investment. India — through India Ports...

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

In the news 4x

CPEC is a flagship infrastructure and economic development corridor linking Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in China's Xinjiang...

Chola Dynasty

In the news 4x

The Chola dynasty was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in Indian history, with roots dating to the 3rd century BCE (mentioned in Ashoka's inscriptions)...

City Gas Distribution (CGD) Networks and PNG Expansion

In the news 4x

Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for household use is supplied through City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB)...

Civil Nuclear Cooperation

In the news 4x

India and Israel do not have a formal civil nuclear cooperation agreement prior to 2026, but both have expressed interest in cooperation in nuclear energy...

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These concepts move with the news. The daily brief explains each one in the story where it appears.
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