International Relations
India and its Neighbourhood
GS Paper II
India and its Neighbourhood — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of India's neighbourhood — border lengths and states, treaty years, LAC agreements, connectivity projects and crisis operations.
SyllabusGS II · India and its neighbourhood — relations
A last-week sheet for the neighbourhood. Prelims tests the years and the geography; Mains tests what they mean for India’s interests.
Borders at a Glance (MHA)
| Neighbour | Length | States / UTs |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 4,096.7 km | West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram |
| China | 3,488 km | Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh |
| Pakistan | 3,323 km | Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh |
| Nepal | 1,751 km | Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim |
| Myanmar | 1,643 km | Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram |
| Bhutan | 699 km | Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh |
| Afghanistan | 106 km | Ladakh |
Treaties and Agreements
| Year | Agreement | Partner | Core point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 (rev. 2007) | Treaty of Friendship | Bhutan | 2007 revision dropped the “guided by advice” clause |
| 1950 | Treaty of Peace and Friendship | Nepal | Open border; reciprocal national treatment |
| 1954 | Agreement on trade with the Tibet region | China | Panchsheel in the preamble |
| 1960 | Indus Waters Treaty | Pakistan | World Bank a signatory; eastern rivers to India |
| 1966 | Tashkent Declaration | Pakistan | Ended the 1965 war; Soviet mediation |
| 1972 | Simla Agreement | Pakistan | Bilateralism; Line of Control |
| 1974 | Land Boundary Agreement | Bangladesh | Implemented 2015 via 100th Amendment |
| 1974 | Maritime boundary agreement | Sri Lanka | Katchatheevu recognised as Sri Lankan |
| 1987 | Indo-Sri Lanka Accord | Sri Lanka | 13th Amendment; IPKF 1987–90 |
| 1993 | Peace and Tranquillity along the LAC | China | First LAC agreement |
| 1996 | Ganga Waters Treaty | Bangladesh | 30 years; Farakka lean-season flows |
| 1996 | Mahakali Treaty | Nepal | Pancheshwar project |
| 2005 | Political Parameters and Guiding Principles | China | Framework for boundary settlement |
| 2011 | Strategic Partnership Agreement | Afghanistan | Afghanistan’s first such agreement |
| 2013 | Border Defence Cooperation Agreement | China | Last major LAC agreement |
Connectivity and Projects
| Project | Country | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Kaladan Multi-Modal project | Myanmar | Kolkata–Sittwe–Paletwa–Mizoram; Sittwe operational May 2023 |
| Trilateral Highway | Myanmar, Thailand | Moreh (Manipur) to Mae Sot |
| Chabahar (Shahid Beheshti terminal) | Iran (for Afghanistan) | 10-year contract signed May 2024 |
| Zaranj–Delaram highway | Afghanistan | Built by BRO; completed 2009 |
| Salma Dam (Afghan-India Friendship Dam) | Afghanistan | Herat; inaugurated June 2016 |
| Chukha, Tala, Mangdechhu hydro | Bhutan | Power exported to India |
Operations to Remember
| Operation | Year | Country / Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| IPKF | 1987–90 | Sri Lanka peacekeeping |
| Cactus | 1988 | Maldives — coup reversed |
| Neer | 2014 | Maldives — drinking water to Male |
| Sindoor | 2025 | Strikes on terror infrastructure after Pahalgam |
High-yield facts
- Indus Waters Treaty held in abeyance by India in April 2025.
- Enclaves exchanged on 31 July 2015: 111 Indian enclaves to Bangladesh, 51 Bangladeshi enclaves to India.
- Doklam standoff: June–August 2017; Galwan clash: 15 June 2020; patrolling understanding: October 2024.
- SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) announced in Mauritius, March 2015.
Traps
Do not confuse
- Simla Convention (1914) — McMahon Line, India–China. Simla Agreement (1972) — India–Pakistan.
- Kaladan ends in Mizoram; the Trilateral Highway starts at Moreh in Manipur.
- Panchsheel (1954) is India–China; the Bandung principles (1955) came later.
Related Topics
- India and South Asia: Neighbourhood First
- India–China Relations
- India and its Neighbourhood — practice questions
- Border Management
Advertisement