India-Britain relations "EMPOWER IAS"

India-Britain relations

 

In news:

• The article highlights the factors that make building sustainable partnership with Britain hard for India and suggests the ways to find fresh basis for bilateral relationship.

 

Need to tap potential for bilateral strategic cooperation

• The long-scheduled summit between Prime Ministers of India and UK will take place with a digital conversation scheduled for Tuesday.
• India and the UK must tap into the enormous potential for bilateral strategic cooperation in the health sector and contributions to the global war on the virus.
• Foreign ministers of India, Japan and Australia would also join this meeting to set the stage for the “Group of Seven Plus Three” physical summit next month hosted by the British Prime Minister.

 

Challenges in forming a sustainable partnership with Britain

• Few Western powers are as deeply connected to India as Britain.
• While India’s relations with countries as different as the US and France have dramatically improved in recent years, ties with Britain have lagged.
• One reason for this failure has been the colonial prism that has distorted mutual perceptions.
• The bitter legacies of the Partition and Britain’s perceived tilt to Pakistan have long complicated the engagement between Delhi and London.
• Also, the large South Asian diaspora in the UK transmits the internal and intra-regional conflicts in the subcontinent into Britain’s domestic politics.

 

Finding fresh basis for bilateral relationship

• The two leaders are expected to announce a 10-year roadmap to transform the bilateral relationship that will cover a range of areas.
• Both countries are on the rebound from their respective regional blocs.
• Britain has walked out of the European Union and India has refused to join the China-centred Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
• Although both will continue to trade with their regional partners, they are eager to build new global economic partnerships.
• While remaining a security actor in Europe, Britain is tilting to the Indo-Pacific, where India is a natural ally.
• India needs as wide a coalition as possible to restore a semblance of regional balance.
• Britain could also contribute to the strengthening of India’s domestic defence industrial base.
• The two sides could also expand India’s regional reach through sharing of logistical facilities.
• Both countries are said to be exploring an agreement on “migration and mobility” to facilitate the legal movement of Indians into Britain.
• Both sides are committed to finding common ground on climate change.

 

India-UK relations:

India –UK economic cooperation

•  India-UK Economic & Financial Dialogue (EFD) and India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), are the formal forum for bolstering economic ties which meet annually to discuss on crucial matters of economy.
• Both sides put in motion UK-India Financial Partnership to enhance ties between the Financial Services industries
• UK is among primary trading partner of India, which contributes significantly in trade in goods and services. In EU, UK is largest market for Indian IT services.
• Both countries decided to cooperate on promoting Bangalore-Mumbai Economic Corridor(BMEC) project.
• With respect to investment, India is 3rd largest investor in UK, Indian MNC’s have provided employment to significant number of UK nationals and contributed significantly to UK economy which is commented by sociologist as ‘reverse colonialism’.
•  According to ‘UK-India skill pledge’ UK companies assured skill development support to India.
•  To bolster tourism and trade links both countries signed sister airport agreement between IGI-Birmingham airport(UK).

 

India-UK cultural relationship

• To collaborate on higher education UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) was set up in 2005. In 2014 'Newton-Bhabha Fund' was announced to boost scientific research and innovation.
• To establish links between premier education institutes in India and UK, India-UK Education Forum was set up in 2008.
•  Indian students are second largest student community in UK. As of 2014 number of Indian students in UK is 19750, according to Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) the number declined due to condition laid by UK government that a foreign student with graduate level job with £20,000 pounds salary from accredited. Due to wide spread criticism and drop in students number in 2015 above said policy was cancelled and students are permitted to stay for 6 years after graduation.
•   Nehru Centre coordinates various activities and events to bolster cultural links between two countries which is the forum for cultural development of The High Commission of India in UK. In addition to this to cooperate in museology  and Earth Sciences a MoU has been signed.
•   2011 census reports that Indians constitute1.8% of total population in UK and contribute 6% of UK GDP. In this way Indians are one of the largest ethnic minorities in the country. In 2014 Regional Pravasiya Bharatiya Diwas (RPPBD) was organised in London. Also many PIO’s are in white collared profession,MP, Lords,councillors in Britain.
•   On the lines of UK model ‘National career service portal’ was launched in India to emphasis skill development and avail more employment opportunities.

 

 

Challenges in India-UK relations

• Stagnancy in the relations – India-UK relations are stagnant for the past five years due to Britain’s Brexit preoccupation.
• The relationship has failed to progress in this time, despite visits by Mr Modi and former British Prime Minister Theresa May.
• Other less important issues gained the narrative – Issues such as visas and the fate of fugitive Indian businessmen in the U.K. have been allowed to dominate the narrative.
• The MEA had responded sharply to protests at the Indian High Commission in London over the Article 370 move in Jammu and Kashmir, and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
• Britain’s concerns about the farmers’ protests that sparked responses in New Delhi about interference in India’s internal matters.
• Sometimes, intense interest from the British Indian diaspora makes Indian politics a factor in British politics is a reminder of how closely linked the two countries remain.
• A new chapter in India-UK relationship would necessarily entail the K. to be more sensitive to India’s concerns, and for India to be less sensitive when Britain expresses its concerns.