← 28 October 2026's Current Affairs · International Relations GA Prelims ★★★★☆ Mains ★★★☆☆
India invites Pakistan to SCO meeting in Delhi, first since Operation Sindoor
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India and Pakistan joined together in 2017: the SCO membership facts every IR Prelims answer needs
India invites Pakistan to an SCO meet in Delhi after Operation Sindoor.
Why it matters: asked in KPSC 2023
What you need to know
2 min read
India has invited Pakistan to a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Delhi, the first such invitation since Operation Sindoor.
India hosts the event as a full member of the SCO, which it joined along with Pakistan in 2017.
The grouping works on regional security and counter-terrorism cooperation.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- India has invited Pakistan to an SCO meeting in Delhi, the first such invitation since Operation Sindoor
- India and Pakistan became full SCO members together in 2017
- The SCO Secretariat is in Beijing; its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is in Tashkent
- The SCO works on regional security and counter-terrorism cooperation
- India is hosting the meeting as a full member of the grouping
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- India and Pakistan were admitted as full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2017.
- The SCO Secretariat is located in Beijing, not Moscow.
- The SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is headquartered in Tashkent.
- Regional security and counter-terrorism cooperation are core areas of SCO work.
Mains
GS2: International relations and groupings. Hosting an SCO meeting obliges India to invite fellow members, Pakistan included, even amid strained bilateral ties after Operation Sindoor, which tests multilateral obligations against security concerns. The way forward is to use the SCO platform to press on cross-border terrorism through RATS and joint declarations while keeping bilateral talks separate.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
In January 2023 the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) film festival was held in Mumbai. Which of the following countries is not a member of SCO?
- Bangladesh
- China
- Russia
- Pakistan
Show answer
Answer: A
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
With reference to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), consider the following statements:
- Its Secretariat is located in Moscow.
- India became a full member in 2017 along with Pakistan.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: B — The correct answer is 2 only. Statement 2 is true, India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, while statement 1 is false.
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