{"id":22806,"date":"2024-03-20T18:01:51","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T12:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=22806"},"modified":"2024-03-20T21:12:03","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T15:42:03","slug":"indo-bhutan-ties-a-strong-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/20-03-2024\/indo-bhutan-ties-a-strong-partnership","title":{"rendered":"Indo-Bhutan Ties: A Strong Partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus : GS 2\/International Relations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0dab4a35479cb7a88ac0f778de143bb9\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>In Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India and Bhutan have been the closest of partners and the best of friends over the past 50 years and more. Both need constant tending, regular dialogue and a lot of care and cooperation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6b4ba36ca3e748f005130f5829fa3404\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Overview of India-Bhutan Relations&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Diplomatic ties: <\/strong>Formal diplomatic ties between the two countries were established in 1968, with the cornerstone being the<strong> Treaty of Friendship <\/strong>and Cooperation signed in <strong>1949<\/strong>, and subsequently renewed in February 2007.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High-level exchanges: <\/strong>Over the years, high-level exchanges have played a pivotal role in nurturing the strong bond between India and Bhutan.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic partnership: <\/strong>The economic partnership between India and Bhutan has flourished over the years, driven by the<strong> India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade, Commerce, and Transit<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This <strong>agreement, first signed in 1972 <\/strong>and revised multiple times, has facilitated a free trade regime between the two countries, promoting bilateral trade and economic growth.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India stands as Bhutan\u2019s top trade partner<\/strong>, both in terms of imports and exports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The bilateral trade volume has seen a significant surge, reaching INR 11,178 crores in 2022.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India\u2019s investments in Bhutan <\/strong>span various sectors, including banking, manufacturing, electricity generation, and IT services, contributing to Bhutan\u2019s socio-economic development and fostering closer economic integration.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has been a steadfast development partner for Bhutan, extending economic assistance to support its socio-economic progress since the 1960s.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&nbsp;India\u2019s contribution to Bhutan\u2019s 12th Five Year Plan, amounting to Rs 5000 Cr., underscores its commitment to supporting Bhutan\u2019s developmental aspirations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hydropower cooperation :<\/strong>it remains a cornerstone of bilateral economic cooperation between India and Bhutan.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bhutan\u2019s hydro-power potential has been harnessed through mutually beneficial partnerships, contributing significantly to its socio-economic development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The commissioning of projects like th<strong>e Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project <\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&nbsp;The Punatsangchhu-II hydropower project is expected to be completed in 2024 \u2014 yet another successful example of the government-to-government model of cooperation in hydropower.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Educational and cultural ties: <\/strong>They are integral to their bilateral relations.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India has been a key destination for Bhutanese students<\/strong> seeking higher education, with over 1000 scholarships provided annually by the Government of India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additionally, cultural exchanges and initiatives under the India-Bhutan Foundation have strengthened people-to-people ties, fostering greater understanding and collaboration between the two societies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human Resource Development: <\/strong>The <strong>Nehru Wangchuck Scholarship Scheme, <\/strong>ICCR Scholarships, and ITEC program have further facilitated skill development and capacity building in Bhutan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New avenues for collaboration: <\/strong>including digital initiatives, space cooperation, and technology partnerships.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Projects lik<strong>e \u2018Digital Drukyul\u2019 <\/strong>and the joint development of satellites reflect the commitment to harnessing technology for mutual benefit and socio-economic progress.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>interoperability of flagship projects like RuPay and the BHIM <\/strong>app demonstrates the evolving nature of the bilateral relationship, with a focus on leveraging digital innovations for inclusive growth and development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Recent developments,<\/strong> including progress on rail connectivity links and the establishment of Integrated Check Posts, underscore the commitment to enhancing trade and connectivity between India and Bhutan.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e2418cc5398a3a7f2d9236aad7d7492c\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Conclusion and Way Forward&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to visit Bhutan, the stage is set for further strengthening the multifaceted cooperation between the two neighbouring nations across various sectors.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the years ahead, India must contribute to the success of the Gelephu Mindfulness City and can perhaps consider the following measures:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>commence direct flights between Mumbai\/Delhi and Gelephu;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&nbsp;provide our technology and knowledge in building hard infrastructure to Bhutan (the private sector will take the lead);&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>encourage high-end Indian tourists and businesspersons to visit Gelephu in controlled numbers;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encourage Indian businesses to set up shop in the city.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Mains Practice Question&nbsp;<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> India\u2019s developmental footprint in Bhutan continues to grow, reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two nations. Comment&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/ties-that-epitomise-indias-neighbourhood-first-policy\/article67969422.ece#:~:text=The%20answer%20is%20quite%20simple,between%20two%20sovereign%20nation%20states.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Daily-Editorial-Analysis-20-03-2024.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India and Bhutan have been the closest of partners and the best of friends over the past 50 years and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22806"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22834,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22806\/revisions\/22834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}