India hosts inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise

Why in News?

India is hosting the inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise in Sri Vijaya Puram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, from 30 October to 3 November 2026. The exercise is an initiative announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand.

Key Features

• Participating Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• Objective: Strengthen maritime cooperation and promote regional security, stability and prosperity in the Bay of Bengal.
• Exercise Structure:
  • Three days of Tabletop Exercises.
  • Two-day Harbour Phase, involving ships from BIMSTEC member countries.
• Strategic Location: The exercise highlights the importance of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India’s maritime security framework.

Significance

• Strengthens maritime cooperation among BIMSTEC members.
• Promotes coordination and information-sharing on regional maritime security.
• Reinforces collective efforts to maintain stability in the Bay of Bengal.
• Highlights the role of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), India’s first integrated tri-service command.

CLICK HERE: GS TIMES UPSC PRELIMS & MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BASED DAILY TEST (ENG & HINDI)

DOWNLOAD PDF: GS TIMES UPSC (CSE) PRELIMS & MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BASED MONTHLY TEST PDF

CLICK HERE: DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ (FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS)

CLICK HERE FOR GS TIMES PRAHAR UPSC GS MAINS TEST SERIES