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UPSC MainsGeneral Studies Paper IIInternational RelationsPractice question

Maritime Security Paradigm in the Bay of Bengal

In the Bay of Bengal, maritime security is shifting from naval dominance to trust-based regional governance. Discuss in the light of India's evolving framework.

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How to approach

Begin by noting the strategic transition in the Bay of Bengal from conventional naval power projection to collaborative, rules-based maritime governance. Examine the drivers necessitating this shift, such as non-traditional threats and regional sensitivities. Detail India's evolving frameworks, doctrines, and institutional anchors, concluding with the broader vision of collective security and shared regional prosperity.

Model answer

303 words

Introduction

The Bay of Bengal is vital to India's Indo-Pacific architecture and neighbourhood outreach. Strategic dynamics in this maritime space are increasingly transitioning from traditional unilateral naval power projection toward cooperative, norms-based, and trust-centric regional maritime governance.

Drivers of the Shift toward Trust-Based Governance

  • Rise of Non-Traditional Security Threats: Unilateral military dominance is ill-suited to combat transnational challenges such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, maritime piracy, narcotics trafficking, disaster relief, and the physical security of critical undersea communication cables.
  • Overcoming Big-Power Anxieties: Smaller littoral nations often view overt geopolitical competition and naval militarization with apprehension. Fostering a trust-based framework under a 'Neighbourhood First' orientation builds sustainable, sovereign partnerships and counters zero-sum hegemonies.

India's Evolving Maritime Governance Framework

  • Doctrinal Evolution: India's strategic vision has progressed from SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) to MAHASAGAR, and further towards the SHANTI framework (Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity), focusing on normative consensus rather than coercive presence.
  • Institutional Anchoring via BIMSTEC: The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) acts as the primary institutional vehicle, enabling joint maritime security exercises, coordinated coastal patrolling, and disaster response cooperation.
  • Capacity Building and Shared Awareness: Rather than unilateral policing, India emphasizes shared Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram and bilateral White Shipping Information exchange agreements.
  • Commitment to Rules-Based International Order: Upholding international maritime law as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ensuring freedom of navigation, peaceful settlement of boundary disputes, and equitable stewardship of the Blue Economy.

Conclusion

By prioritizing cooperative governance, capacity-building, and multilateral institutions over sheer fleet size, India reinforces its standing as a preferred security partner and net security provider, embodying the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam across the shared maritime commons.

Key facts to remember

definition
Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)

The effective understanding of anything associated with the global maritime domain that could impact security, safety, economy, or environment, facilitated through shared surveillance and data.

scheme
Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR)

Established by India in 2018 at Gurugram to foster real-time maritime domain awareness and non-military information sharing among regional partner nations.

scheme
SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)

India's maritime initiative unveiled in 2015, aimed at deepening economic and security cooperation with maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean.

Frequently asked questions

Why is BIMSTEC central to Bay of Bengal maritime governance?

BIMSTEC connects South and Southeast Asian littoral states, providing an institutional, non-threatening platform for joint maritime security exercises, disaster relief, and blue economy collaboration without militarized block politics.

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