Sakshi Education
By Srirangam Sriram, Sriram's IAS, New Delhi.
Recently, India announced or completed connectivity projects in three south Asian counties -- Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh -- with the main focus being faster movement of people and goods, and also to generate employment. The Maldives will see the expansion of Hanimaadhoo airport under the Indian line of credit. With Bhutan, a new trade route was opened from West Bengal's Jaigaon to Ahlay, Pasakha in Bhutan. India flagged off the first trial container ship from Kolkata to Agartala through Bangladesh port of Chattogram. The multi-million Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project in the border state of Mizoram. In 2019, India and Nepal inaugurated South Asia’s first cross-border oil pipeline.
Following upgradation with Indian aid, the airport at Jaffna, in Northern Sri Lanka, was reconnected with a direct flight from south India after more than four decades.
India’s border states have been spearheading this economic driver of India’s connectivity policy. For example, in the Northeast, Bhutan opened its first consulate in Assam’s capital Guwahati; and the Chief Ministers of Meghalaya and Mizoram are now actively invested in stronger trade, investment and infrastructure with Bangladesh and Myanmar, respectively.
In terms of infrastructure, over a dozen new Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) are being constructed or expanded to facilitate trade and mobility along the borders with Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar. Inland waterway agreements are being operationalised with Nepal and Bangladesh. The number of railway connections with Bangladesh increased from just one in 2008 to the current four, with six more being planned.
The Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), to be pursued by India in partnership with Japan, enables both countries to launch infrastructure projects across Asia and Africa including India.
India is not just focusing on terrestrial/land-based physical infrastructure development through roadways, railroads, transit/economic corridors etc., but is giving equal weightage to areas like digital connectivity and maritime connectivity.
India has taken a principled stand towards connectivity projects. It believes that any global connectivity initiative must be based on “universally recognized international norms, good governance, rule of law, openness, transparency and equality;” follow principles of financial.
Responsibility, avoid unsustainable debt burden on target communities; ensure respect for ecological and environmental protection; function transparently; and facilitate skill and technology transfer to local communities. India also firmly upholds that connectivity projects must be pursued in a manner that respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
India is particularly concerned about the security of connectivity routes from traditional and non-traditional challenges as well as natural disasters. These concerns shape India’s emphasis on its role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific. India emphatically rejects any connotation that its connectivity vision is premised on the basis of geo-political competition or rivalry with other players in the region.
India’s commitment is not just for better physical connectivity between different geographies but also the establishment of regional peace and stability, creating economic prosperity, curbing radicalism, combating terror and building people to people relations
Following upgradation with Indian aid, the airport at Jaffna, in Northern Sri Lanka, was reconnected with a direct flight from south India after more than four decades.
India’s border states have been spearheading this economic driver of India’s connectivity policy. For example, in the Northeast, Bhutan opened its first consulate in Assam’s capital Guwahati; and the Chief Ministers of Meghalaya and Mizoram are now actively invested in stronger trade, investment and infrastructure with Bangladesh and Myanmar, respectively.
In terms of infrastructure, over a dozen new Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) are being constructed or expanded to facilitate trade and mobility along the borders with Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar. Inland waterway agreements are being operationalised with Nepal and Bangladesh. The number of railway connections with Bangladesh increased from just one in 2008 to the current four, with six more being planned.
The Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), to be pursued by India in partnership with Japan, enables both countries to launch infrastructure projects across Asia and Africa including India.
India is not just focusing on terrestrial/land-based physical infrastructure development through roadways, railroads, transit/economic corridors etc., but is giving equal weightage to areas like digital connectivity and maritime connectivity.
India has taken a principled stand towards connectivity projects. It believes that any global connectivity initiative must be based on “universally recognized international norms, good governance, rule of law, openness, transparency and equality;” follow principles of financial.
Responsibility, avoid unsustainable debt burden on target communities; ensure respect for ecological and environmental protection; function transparently; and facilitate skill and technology transfer to local communities. India also firmly upholds that connectivity projects must be pursued in a manner that respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
India is particularly concerned about the security of connectivity routes from traditional and non-traditional challenges as well as natural disasters. These concerns shape India’s emphasis on its role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific. India emphatically rejects any connotation that its connectivity vision is premised on the basis of geo-political competition or rivalry with other players in the region.
India’s commitment is not just for better physical connectivity between different geographies but also the establishment of regional peace and stability, creating economic prosperity, curbing radicalism, combating terror and building people to people relationsPublished date : 26 Nov 2020 11:58AM
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