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31 July 2026

Bay of Bengal as a regional disaster management anchor

The SHANTI framework is a specific, named Indian maritime policy initiative that directly addresses regional security, disaster management, and multilateral cooperation within the Bay of Bengal, making it highly relevant for GS2 and GS3.

1 min read 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • SHANTI (Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity) is a normative framework for maritime security introduced by India in July 2026.
  • SHANTI aims to shift maritime security focus from competition to demand-driven cooperation and from crisis management to long-term resilience.
  • The framework builds upon previous Indian maritime initiatives: SAGAR (2015) focused on equity in development, and MAHASAGAR (2025) focused on interconnected security.
  • The Bay of Bengal is identified as a primary region to operationalize SHANTI due to its interconnected ecological and security challenges.
  • Common regional challenges include disaster risk reduction, coastal erosion, fisheries management, port resilience, and undersea cable protection.
  • The region suffers from institutional fragmentation despite having existing mechanisms; SHANTI seeks to align these through shared norms.
  • BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) serves as a key platform for implementing these principles, including joint maritime security exercises and white shipping information-sharing.

Questions

  1. Discuss the significance of the Bay of Bengal in India's maritime strategy and how normative frameworks like SHANTI can address the challenge of institutional fragmentation in the region. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. How does the shift from traditional maritime security to a 'governance of shared maritime commons' model, as proposed by the SHANTI framework, enhance India's role as a regional disaster management anchor in the Indian Ocean? 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. Which of the following best describes the primary objective of the SHANTI framework as proposed in the context of India's maritime policy?