South Asia

South Asia is a geopolitically contiguous sub-continental region in Southern Asia comprising India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and the Maldives.

Under International Relations

• It constitutes India's immediate security perimeter, where cross-border issues, ethnic ties, and shared geography directly impact domestic stability and economic development.
• The region serves as the primary operational space for India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, driving sub-regional trade, cross-border energy grids, and transit infrastructure.
• Increasing presence of external powers across the Indian Ocean littoral tests India's position as a regional economic anchor and net security provider.

UPSC evaluates South Asia primarily under GS Paper II, focusing on the friction between regional security challenges and institutional cooperation through groupings like SAARC, BIMSTEC, and BBIN. Questions routinely test candidates on transboundary resource management, maritime security, and strategic responses to extra-regional influence in neighboring states. Answers require a balanced analysis of bilateral diplomacy alongside sub-regional economic integration initiatives.

• India and its neighborhood: relations GS2