Why In News?

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting, Rajnath Singh urged unified, zero-tolerance action against terrorism. 

What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)?

It is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established in 2001, in Shanghai, China. 

It serves as a Eurasian political, economic, and international security alliance, originally succeeding the "Shanghai Five" mechanism formed in 1996.  

Current Membership (As of April 2026)

The SCO comprises 10 Member States:  

• Founding Members: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
• Expansions:
• India and Pakistan (Joined 2017).
• Iran (Joined July 2023).
• Belarus (Joined July 2024). 

Core Objectives of the SCO

According to the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (signed in 2002), the main goals are:

• Regional Security: Ensure and maintain peace, security, and stability in the region, specifically combating the "three evils" of terrorism, separatism, and extremism.  
• Building Trust: Strengthen mutual trust, friendship, and good-neighbourliness between the Member States.  
• Multidimensional Cooperation: Encourage effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research, technology, culture, education, energy, transport, tourism, and environmental protection. 
• Global Order: Promote a new democratic, fair, and rational international political and economic order.  

Key Permanent Bodies

• The Secretariat (Beijing): Primary executive body responsible for organizational and technical support.  
• Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) (Tashkent): Permanent organ dedicated to facilitating cooperation against terrorism, separatism, and extremism. 

Guiding Principle: The "Shanghai Spirit" 

The organization operates on the "Shanghai Spirit," defined by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations, and pursuit of common development.  

What Challenges Does SCO Face?

Bilateral conflicts and internal fragmentation

• India-Pakistan tensions: Hostility between nuclear neighbors, aggravated by April 2025 escalations, hinders consensus-based decision-making.
• India-China rivalry: Border disputes and competition between BRI and INSTC limit cooperation, evidenced by India's refusal to support BRI.
• Central Asian disputes: Conflicts like Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border issues undermine regional stability.

Chinese dominance: Rising influence through the Global Security Initiative risks turning SCO into a China-centric bloc, raising fears of debt traps and loss of autonomy.

Anti-Western perception: Including Iran and deepening Russia-China ties makes the West view SCO as anti-American, challenging India's balance with US and European partners.

Execution gaps: Implementation remains poor; RATS faces enforcement hurdles against state-sponsored terrorism due to political shielding.

Way Forward for India

Sovereignty & Connectivity: India must champion sovereignty-centric alternatives to China’s BRI by fast-tracking the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chabahar Port for Central Asian access.

Revitalizing RATS: India should advocate for an action-oriented Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, emphasizing a unified terror list and accountability for cross-border militancy.

Digital Diplomacy: By sharing its Digital Public Infrastructure (e.g., UPI) with SCO partners, India can build non-debt-based strategic dependencies.

Strategic Balance: Maintaining SCO membership allows India to bridge the West and East while preventing the bloc from becoming purely China-centric.

Resource Security: India should utilize SCO sidelines for bilateral deals to secure energy and minerals (Uranium, Lithium) vital for its green transition.

Conclusion

The SCO is a geopolitical necessity for India. Despite contradictions like Chinese dominance and Pakistani presence, it remains an essential link to Central Asia—a region critical for India's energy security and "extended neighborhood" policy. 

Source: NEWSONAIR