- Why in news
- On 1 September 2026, PM Modi took part in the 26th SCO Heads of State Council summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (31 Aug-1 Sep), the organisation's 25th anniversary year. India said it will host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum later this year.
- What it is
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian political, economic and security grouping. It grew out of the Shanghai Five and was founded in 2001. Its highest body is the Council of Heads of State, and its permanent bodies include the Secretariat in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent.
- Anniversary
- The summit fell in SCO's 25th anniversary year.
- India's three pillars
- India's vision for SCO rests on Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.
- Civilisation Dialogue Forum
- India will host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum later this year. It is India's flagship initiative for civilisational exchange among members.
- English in the Charter
- The Bishkek Declaration includes an India-backed initiative to make English an official language in the SCO Charter.
- Founding and bodies
- SCO was founded in 2001. Its Secretariat is in Beijing and RATS is in Tashkent.
- 26th SCO Summit
- The 26th SCO Summit is being held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, and marks 25 years of the SCO.
- India's membership
- India has been a member of the SCO since 2017.
- India's vision
- India frames its approach to the region around Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, and stresses action against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
- Founding
- The SCO was founded in 2001, growing out of the Shanghai Five.
- Permanent bodies
- The Secretariat is in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is in Tashkent.
- Highest body
- The Council of Heads of State is the SCO's highest decision-making body.
- Summit host and date
- The 26th SCO Summit is held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, on 31 August–1 September 2026.
- 25th anniversary and India's status
- The summit marks 25 years of the SCO. India has been a full member since 2017.
- India's priorities
- Modi will put forward India's priorities of Security, Connectivity and Opportunity at the summit.
Don’t confuse with SCO vs BRICS: SCO is a Eurasian security and political grouping with a Charter and permanent bodies. BRICS is an informal grouping of emerging economies with no charter or secretariat.
Don’t confuse with RATS vs Secretariat: RATS, the anti-terror body, is in Tashkent. The Secretariat is in Beijing.
Don’t confuse with Secretariat vs RATS: The SCO Secretariat is in Beijing. RATS, the counter-terrorism body, is in Tashkent.
Don’t confuse with Shanghai Five vs SCO: The Shanghai Five was the earlier grouping. The SCO was formed from it in 2001.
Don’t confuse with SCO Secretariat vs RATS: The Secretariat is in Beijing; RATS, the anti-terror body, is in Tashkent.
International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.
Why it matters
- SCO gives India a platform on Central Asia, where it has no land access, and on counter-terrorism.
- It lets India press its views on terrorism and on connectivity that respects sovereignty.
- Initiatives such as the Civilisation Dialogue Forum add soft power in the region.
- The SCO gives India a forum to engage Central Asia and raise terrorism and connectivity concerns.
- The SCO gives India a forum to engage China, Russia and Central Asian states on security and connectivity.
- Bilateral meetings on the sidelines allow talks with Central Asian leaders.
Problems
- India-China and India-Pakistan differences limit consensus, including on terrorism language and connectivity projects.
- India's sovereignty objection to projects like the Belt and Road constrains cooperation.
- Consensus decision-making and Chinese and Russian weight can dilute India's priorities.
- India must balance its interests against China's and Russia's weight in the grouping.
- India–China and India–Pakistan tensions complicate consensus on terrorism and connectivity.
Way forward
- Use SCO for practical work such as counter-terror cooperation, trade and Chinese-free connectivity routes like Chabahar and INSTC.
- Build outcomes in youth, start-ups, science and culture, where interests overlap.
- Keep pressing for no double standards on terrorism while engaging Central Asian states bilaterally.
- Use the SCO and bilateral visits together to deepen Central Asia ties on trade, energy and connectivity.
- Use the SCO to push counter-terrorism cooperation and Central Asia connectivity while safeguarding India's sovereignty concerns.
Put in your answer
No double standards on terrorism: India's PM called for dismantling the terror ecosystem and urged no double standards in fighting terrorism.
Connectivity and sovereignty: India backs connectivity that links markets and trade but insists it respect sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Afghanistan: India linked Eurasian security to Afghanistan's stability and cited its development and humanitarian aid.
India's SCO framing: India anchors its SCO approach in Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.
India's SCO membership: India became a full SCO member in 2017, after joining as an observer earlier.
India's stated priorities: Security, Connectivity and Opportunity are the themes India will stress at the SCO.
- 2021Mains GS2 · Q19Critically examine SCO's aims and objectives and its importance for India.
- 2023Mains GS2 · Q9Role of India in mitigating conflict affecting SCO's functioning.
- 2022Prelims Q66Which statements about AIIB, MTCR and SCO are correct?
- 2007Prelims Q4Which country is NOT a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
- 2007Prelims Q34Whether India has observer status at the SCO, with China's SAARC status.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Pairs
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following pairs about the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
- 1.26th Council of Heads of State meeting (2026) — Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
- 2.SCO Secretariat — Beijing
- 3.Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) — Tashkent
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The 26th SCO Council of Heads of State meeting was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
True. Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic hosted the summit.
2.India's SCO vision, as recalled by the Prime Minister, rests on Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.
True. The three pillars are Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.
3.India said it would host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum.
True. India will host the first edition later this year.
4.The Bishkek Declaration includes an India-backed initiative to make Hindi an official SCO language.
False. The initiative was for English as an official language in the SCO Charter.
5.The SCO Secretariat is located in Beijing.
True. The Secretariat is in Beijing; RATS is in Tashkent.
6.The SCO was founded in 1991 after the Soviet collapse.
False. SCO was founded in 2001, evolving from the Shanghai Five.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
The 26th SCO Summit at Bishkek, held in the organisation's 25th anniversary year, saw India stress security, connectivity with respect for sovereignty, and action against terrorism without double standards. Examine India's interests and the challenges it faces in the SCO, and suggest how India can advance its Security, Connectivity and Opportunity vision through the grouping.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.