📌 Why in News?
India formally announced its Connect Central **Asia Policy **in Bishkek in 2012.
Its major components included high-level political engagement; strategic and security cooperation; economic engagement; energy cooperation; improvement of land and air connectivity; information technology and e-networking; educational cooperation; healthcare; cultural exchanges and stronger people-to-people contacts.
Syllabus & Relevance
Paper: GS-3
Theme: Economy
Static Foundation
The fundamental problem was geography.
Unlike Russia or China, India has no direct land border with Central Asia.
The shortest natural land route would pass through Pakistan and Afghanistan.
India-Pakistan relations have made that route practically unavailable, while Afghanistan's instability has created an additional barrier.
Thus India's Central Asian policy has always been shaped by the contradiction of high strategic interest but weak physical connectivity.
Prelims Quick Facts
Prelims facts will be updated soon.