Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination (Topic: New Consulate General of India in Maldives)

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Topic: New Consulate General of India in Maldives

New Consulate General of India in Maldives

Why in News?

  • The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the opening of first Consulate General of India in Addu City, Maldives in 2021.

Key Highlights

  • Opening of a consulate general in Addu City will help augment India’s diplomatic presence in Maldives and make it commensurate with the existing and aspired level of engagement.
  • Augmentation of India’s diplomatic presence will provide market access for Indian companies and bolster Indian exports of goods and services.
  • The opening of the consulate will also have a direct impact in augmenting domestic production and employment in line with Indian government's goal of a self-reliant India or Atmanirbhar Bharat.

India - Maldives Relations

  • India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiquity.
  • Indians are the second largest expatriate community in the Maldives, with an approximate strength of 22,000. About 25% of doctors and teachers in the Maldives are Indians.
  • Maldives occupies an important place in the ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and the ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision of the Government of India.
  • Bilateral relations have also benefited from President Ibrahim Solih’s “India First” policy.
  • India is currently implementing large infrastructure projects worth $2 billion, such as ports, roads, bridges, water and sanitation, in the Maldives.
  • The Maldives also received considerable assistance from India since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was the first country to receive made-in-India vaccines in January, when New Delhi gifted 100,000 doses.
  • This was preceded by health and humanitarian assistance provided in 2020, including nearly 12 tonnes of medicines, and a soft loan of $250 million for budgetary support.

India's Neighbourhood First Policy

  • "Neighbourhood First Policy" is part of India’s foreign policy that accords primacy to nations in India’s periphery.
  • It also includes in its ambit the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) —a grouping that includes almost all countries of South Asia and some in South-East Asia.