← 30 September 2026's Current Affairs · International Relations GA Prelims ★★★★☆ Mains ★★★☆☆
Indian Official in Islamabad for SCO Preparatory Meeting
ଖବରରେ କାହିଁକି?
India's team is in Islamabad for an SCO meeting: where is the SCO's anti-terror body based?
An Indian delegation is in Islamabad for a three-day SCO preparatory meeting.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type

What you need to know
2 ମିନିଟ
A senior official of the External Affairs Ministry is leading an Indian team at a three-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) preparatory meeting in Islamabad.
It is the first such official visit by an Indian delegation to Pakistan in a while and comes days after India and Pakistan sparred at the UN.
The SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure is based in Tashkent.
ଉତ୍ସ: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ମୁଖ୍ୟ ତଥ୍ୟ
Remember these
- An Indian delegation led by a senior External Affairs Ministry official is in Islamabad for a three-day SCO preparatory meeting.
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and security grouping.
- The SCO Secretariat is in Beijing, while the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
- The visit comes days after India and Pakistan sparred at the UN.
- India and Pakistan are both SCO members, so multilateral forums keep bringing them into the same room.
ପ୍ରିଲିମ୍ସ · ମେନ୍ସ
How the exam will ask it
ପ୍ରିଲିମ୍ସ
- The SCO Secretariat is headquartered in Beijing, whereas the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is headquartered in Tashkent.
- The SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure is a permanent body of the organisation focused on security, terrorism and extremism.
- India and Pakistan are both full members of the SCO.
ମେନ୍ସ
GS-II International Relations: regional groupings and India's neighbourhood policy. Issue: India attends an SCO meeting hosted by Pakistan even as bilateral ties remain strained. Policy: India engages in multilateral forums for its Eurasian connectivity and security interests, while holding that talks and terror cannot go together. Implication and way forward: use the SCO platform to press for counter-terrorism cooperation without normalising bilateral engagement.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is headquartered in:
- Tashkent
- Beijing
- Astana
- Bishkek
ଉତ୍ତର ଦେଖନ୍ତୁ
ଉତ୍ତର: A — Correct: Tashkent — The SCO's RATS is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, while the SCO Secretariat is in Beijing. • Beijing — wrong: Beijing hosts the SCO Secretariat, not the RATS headquarters. • Astana — wrong: Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan, an SCO member, but it does not house RATS. • Bishkek — wrong: Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan, an SCO member, but it does not house RATS.
Convert this topic into marks
Today's 10-MCQ test · instant analysis · Powered by AdaptIQ