Relevance: GS-2: India and its neighborhood- relations; Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests, Indian diaspora;

Relevance: GS-3: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

Key Phrases: India-Maldives, National College of Policing and Law Enforcement, de-radicalisation, law enforcement, Colombo Security Conclave, Greater Male Connectivity Project, High Impact Community Development Projects.

Why in News?

• India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM), on a two-day official visit to the Maldives in March, engaged in the review of the progress of various areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Key Points:

• The Minister inaugurated the National College of Policing and Law Enforcement (NCPLE) in the Addu City.
  • One of India's largest grant-funded projects in the Maldives, the NCPLE will be the hub for a modern police force in the years to come
  • He termed the project “a real symbol of our development partnership” and congratulated the Maldives Police Service on their new training centre.
• It will serve to strengthen the traditions of exchanges and training between the Police forces of Maldives and India.
• On the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) and the Maldives Police Force to support the up-gradation of police infrastructure across the archipelago.
  • It will be a springboard for the NCPLE to grow its capacities through training and the development of its curriculum.
• Aware of the importance of this training for the MPS (Maldives Police Service), India has also increased the number of training slots for the Maldives at Indian police academy to 8.

Need:

• On the domestic level in the Maldives, the training academy would help strengthen law enforcement abilities and counter drug trafficking, a major concern in the country.
• One of the key areas of focus and concern for both countries is preventing and countering violent extremism as well as de-radicalisation.
  • According to a 2020 report by the European Foundation for South Asian Studies, the Maldives has become the country with the highest rate of foreign fighters per capita in the world.
  • One of the objectives of this training academy in Addu City is to address those challenges and enhance cooperation between the two countries in tackling these issues.
• Experts say that countries in the Maldives’ neighbourhood cannot simply relegate the growing radicalisation as a domestic issue, because it has the potential to spill over into their territories, causing instability and havoc.
• Although the Maldivian government has taken several measures to deal with this growing problem, it hasn’t been very effective.
  • This is where the National College of Policing and Law Enforcement and advanced training programmes may help the Maldives and be of importance to the wider South Asia region.

Other Projects:

The Maldives is one of India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the bilateral defence and security ties have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years.

• Defence cooperation is a key pillar in India-Maldives partnership.
  • Under it, India will be formally hand over the Coastal Radar System to the Chief of Defence Forces, which comprises ten radar stations.
  • This system will contribute to enhancing security for the Maldives and for the entire region.
• Another platform is Colombo Security Conclave, a trilateral maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, where intelligence sharing is also a part of this trilateral security cooperation.
  • All three countries face common security challenges, particularly maritime security issues, making these kinds of joint exercises and cooperation important.
• The two countries are now entering a phase where projects are taking off, they are getting delivered, and they are seeing them on the ground.
  • India have made swift progress in the iconic Greater Male Connectivity Project as well which has now moved from the stage of concept to preliminary works in less than two years.
  • Geo-technical surveys are ongoing and we expect ground-breaking in the coming months.
  • Nine of India’s 20 ongoing High Impact Community Development Projects are in fact in Addu City.
• Construction activity has also begun on 4,000 housing units in Hulhumale as well as drinking water and sanitation projects on 34 islands.
  • The Hanimaadhoo Airport Redevelopment project, the expansion of facilities for MIFCO, and the Cricket Stadium Project in Hulhumale are all in the tendering stage.
• USD 40 million Line of Credit which we had concluded in February 2021 for the sports infrastructure has advanced and Detailed Project Reports are under preparation.
• The two country’s people-to-people ties have become even more vibrant.
  • India was among the top sources of tourists for Maldives in 2020 and 2021, helped by the air bubble arrangement.

Conclusion:

• There is no suggestion that the National College of Policing and Law Enforcement will single-handedly curb the complex security challenges that the Maldives is facing, but experts believe that it may be a start.

Source: Indian Express

Mains Question:

Q. India-Maldives ties have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years. Comment. (150 Words).