Neighbourhood First is being stress-tested as governments in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives change against incumbents friendly to India. With reference to specific instruments such as MAHASAGAR and the Greater Male Connectivity Project, examine India’s recalibration.
Subtopic: IR · India and its neighbourhood
How to structure your answer
Introduction: 'Neighbourhood First', anchored in the 5S vocabulary (Samman, Samvad, Shanti, Samriddhi, Sanskriti), promises non-reciprocal generosity to immediate neighbours, complemented by SAGAR (2015, Mauritius) and its 2025 expansion to MAHASAGAR.
Body: Three dimensions — (i) Political churn: Tarique Rahman's BNP swept Bangladesh polls in February 2026 (212 of 300 seats), Muizzu's 'India Out' recalibrated to 'trusted friend' in Maldives, NPP's Dissanayake in Sri Lanka chose New Delhi as first foreign visit; (ii) Instruments: India supplied 5,000 MT diesel within days of Rahman's swearing-in; Rs 600 crore aid to Maldives in Budget 2025; co-chaired Sri Lanka Official Creditor Committee with Japan and France for $5.9 billion debt restructuring; (iii) China factor: Hambantota 99-year lease ($1.12 billion, 2017), $3.7 billion Sinopec Hambantota refinery (January 2025), but Beijing slowed mega-loans and declined Pakistan's ML-1 railway financing.
Way forward / Conclusion: Move from leader-led to institution-led ties, push BBIN MVA, prioritise grid and transit (Trincomalee, Greater Male) and avoid the Adani-Bangladesh power-supply pricing trap; restore SAARC functionality through BIMSTEC as bridge.
Written within the word limit
217 words · target 250 words · 14 min
Introduction:
India's 'Neighbourhood First' doctrine, anchored in the 5S vocabulary (Samman, Samvad, Shanti, Samriddhi, Sanskriti) and SAGAR (March 2015, Mauritius), expanded in 2025 into MAHASAGAR — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — is being stress-tested as incumbents friendly to Delhi lose office across the rim.
Political churn: Tarique Rahman's BNP swept Bangladesh polls (212 of 300 seats, February 2026); Mohamed Muizzu's 'India Out' Maldives recalibrated to 'trusted friend'; NPP's Anura Kumara Dissanayake chose New Delhi as his first foreign visit. Recalibration is operational, not rhetorical.
Instruments: India supplied 5,000 MT diesel within days of Rahman's swearing-in; Rs 600 crore aid in Budget 2025-26 went to the Maldives; New Delhi co-chaired the Sri Lanka Official Creditor Committee with Japan and France for the $5.9 billion debt restructuring (2024). The Greater Male Connectivity Project ($530 million, signed 2021) anchors physical hardware; lines of credit and HICDP grants the soft.
China factor: Hambantota's 99-year lease ($1.12 billion, 2017) and the $3.7 billion Sinopec Hambantota refinery (January 2025) sit beside Beijing's slowed mega-loans and its refusal to finance Pakistan's ML-1 railway. The competitive space has opened — but Delhi's leverage rests on grid, transit and consular reach rather than chequebook scale.
Way forward / Conclusion:
Shift from leader-led to institution-led ties, advance BBIN MVA, prioritise the Trincomalee and Greater Male connectivity nodes, avoid the Adani-Bangladesh power-pricing trap, and revive SAARC functionality through BIMSTEC as bridge.
What an examiner expects to see
- Neighbourhood First 5S — Samman, Samvad, Shanti, Samriddhi, Sanskriti
- Bangladesh 2026 election — BNP won 212/300 seats; Tarique Rahman PM from 17 February 2026
- India-Bangladesh trade $14 billion (FY24); India supplies more than 2.4 GW electricity daily
- Sri Lanka 2022 — India extended about $4 billion emergency support, co-chair OCC for $5.9 billion debt restructuring
- Maldives — $750 million currency swap window till 2027, Rs 600 crore aid (Budget 2025, +28%)
- Greater Male Connectivity Project — $400 million LoC + $100 million grant, largest infra project in Maldives
- Hambantota Port — 99-year lease to China Merchants Port ($1.12 billion, 2017); $3.7 billion Sinopec refinery (January 2025)
- SAGAR (2015) expanded to MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) in Mauritius 2025
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Tarique Rahman government in Bangladesh (February 2026)
- Anura Kumara Dissanayake state visit to New Delhi (December 2024)
- President Mohamed Muizzu's 'India Out' to 'trusted friend' shift
- Greater Male Connectivity Project
- Sri Lanka Official Creditor Committee co-chaired with Japan and France
- MAHASAGAR doctrine (Mauritius 2025)