PRELIMS POINTERS (2025 Focus)

• ASEAN HQ: Jakarta, Indonesia. Members: 10 nations.

• India–ASEAN Trade (2024-25): ≈ US $110 billion — target $200 billion by 2030.

• Plan of Action 2026-2030: Maritime security, digital connectivity, climate action, education, food security.

• ASEAN Plus Mechanisms: East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum — both anchor India’s Indo-Pacific vision.

• Blue Economy: Marine resource management aligned with Panchamrit climate goals.

🧠 UPSC VALUE CHAIN (Each Line Carries Marks)

• GS2 – Foreign Policy: Bharat’s Act East 2.0 balances ASEAN centrality with Strategic Autonomy 2.0 — “engage all, align with none.”

• GS3 – Economy & Maritime: Re-energising the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) aligns with Make in India for the World.

• GS1 – Geography: ASEAN is Bharat’s gateway to the Pacific — a maritime bridge in the SAGAR vision (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

• GS4 – Ethics in Statecraft: “Shared values, shared destiny” reflects Dharma-based Realism — power with principle.

AMRIT KAAL DIPLOMACY

1️⃣ Viksit Bharat 2047 Vision: Bharat’s growth linked to regional stability — prosperity as collective public good.
2️⃣ Mission LiFE & Blue Economy 2025: Maritime growth anchored in sustainability; oceans as livelihood commons.
3️⃣ Digital Public Infrastructure Partnerships: Aadhaar-like stack exported to ASEAN for inclusive fin-tech connectivity.
4️⃣ PM Gati Shakti & IMEC corridors: Soft and hard connectivity projects linking ASEAN with the Indian subcontinent.
5️⃣ One Earth • One Family • One Future (G20 ethos): ASEAN ties seen as collective resilience for the Global South.

📚 MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (2026 Probables)

1️⃣ “India–ASEAN relations exemplify the evolution of Act East Policy into Act East 2.0. Analyse how Amrit Kaal diplomacy combines cultural continuity with strategic calculation.”
2️⃣ “Critically evaluate the role of ASEAN Centrality in India’s Indo-Pacific strategy and its implications for regional security.”