Restoring maritime commons (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International Relations
Prelims level : Not much
Mains level : Mamallapuram informal summit

Context

• The recently held Mamallapuram informal summit between the leaderships of India and China was a reminder of an earlier golden age of sail when Asia’s seas were a common heritage of mankind.

Issues

• The seas are now divided and have become arenas for violation of sovereign boundary rules and laws.
• India and China control the choke points in their maritime regions and thus seek control of the trade through them.

Way forward

• As a first step, India and China must commit to respecting each other’s ‘core’ interests and sovereign sea area integrity.
• India, China and their Asian partners should aim to develop soft laws that fortify the ongoing development and conservationist orientation of global sea law.
• The lessons learnt by India and China in stabilising their disputed land boundary offer useful pointers to chart a framework to regulate their interactions at sea.

Conclusion

• India and China must aspire to once again restore Asia’s seas to their former purpose as win-win economic passageways rather than zerosum arenas of contestation.

  Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

  General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the development of Indian Press, consider the following statements:
(1) The first newspapers were started by disgruntled exemployees of the Company with aim of furtherance of their personal rivalries.
(2) The Calcutta General Advertiser published by James Augustus Hicky became the first newspaper to be published from India.
(3) Lord Cornwallis was the first Governor-General to bring the Censorship of Press Act.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) None of the above

Answer: C
Mains Questions:
Q.1) India and China must aspire to ensure that Asia’s seas are not arenas of contestation. Comment.