{"id":45312,"date":"2025-03-11T11:48:22","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T06:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=45312"},"modified":"2025-05-06T19:07:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:37:24","slug":"india-and-mauritius-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/india-and-mauritius-relations\/","title":{"rendered":"India-Mauritius Relations: History, Strategic Ties, Trade, Defence &#038; Key Developments"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What\u2019s in Today\u2019s Article?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>India-Mauritius Relations Latest News<\/li>\n<li>Mauritius: A Key Indian Ocean Neighbour<\/li>\n<li>Early Diplomatic Ties<\/li>\n<li>Infrastructure Development in Agal\u00e9ga<\/li>\n<li>Key Focus Areas of India-Mauritius Ties<\/li>\n<li>India-Mauritius Relations FAQs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>India-Mauritius Relations Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>PM Narendra Modi will visit Mauritius for two days, marking his second visit since 2015. He will be the Chief Guest at Mauritius\u2019 National Day celebrations on March 12.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Mauritius: A Key Indian Ocean Neighbour<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Mauritius, a strategically located island nation in the western Indian Ocean, shares strong ties with India, as nearly 70% of its 1.2 million population is of Indian origin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Geographical location<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, and off the southeast coast of Africa.\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>It is considered part of Africa geographically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s located in the Southern Hemisphere, just above the Tropic of Capricorn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Colonial History and Indian Migration<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Originally a French colony, Mauritius later came under British rule.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>During French rule in the 1700s, Indians from Puducherry were brought as artisans and masons.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Under British rule, around 500,000 Indian indentured workers arrived between 1834 and the early 1900s, with two-thirds settling permanently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Indian Connection to National Day<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Mahatma Gandhi visited Mauritius in 1901 and inspired Indian workers with messages on education, political empowerment, and staying connected with India.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>As a tribute, Mauritius celebrates its National Day on March 12, coinciding with Gandhi\u2019s Dandi March.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Early Diplomatic Ties<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Mauritius was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with independent India in 1948. It gained independence from British rule in 1968.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Political Leadership<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Mauritius has been largely governed by two major political families\u2014the Ramgoolams (Seewoosagur Ramgoolam and his son Navin) and the Jugnauths (Anerood Jugnauth and his son Pravind).\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Navin Ramgoolam, who won the elections last year, has previously served as Prime Minister twice (1995\u20132000, 2005\u20132014).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Freedom Struggle and Indian Connection<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the first Prime Minister of independent Mauritius, played a key role in the country\u2019s freedom movement.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>He worked closely with Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sarojini Naidu.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>He also had strong ties with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and even proofread Bose\u2019s book, <i>The Indian Struggle<\/i> (1934).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Infrastructure Development in Agal\u00e9ga<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>During PM Modi\u2019s visit to Mauritius in 2015, India signed an MoU to enhance transport facilities on Agal\u00e9ga island, improving sea and air connectivity.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>These developments aim to support the Mauritian Defence Forces in safeguarding their outer islands.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>In February 2024, both countries jointly inaugurated an airstrip and jetty projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Sovereignty Concerns and Clarifications<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Speculations about India building a military base in Agal\u00e9ga were dismissed by then PM Pravind Jugnauth, who reaffirmed Mauritius&#8217; sovereignty over the island and condemned anti-India narratives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>China Factor and Strategic Importance<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>With China&#8217;s growing influence in the Indian Ocean, India seeks to strengthen ties with island nations like Mauritius to maintain regional stability and security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Disaster Response and Maritime Security<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Following Cyclone Chido, India deployed naval assets to deliver aid to Agal\u00e9ga.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The new infrastructure also supports Mauritius in maritime surveillance, patrolling its Exclusive Economic Zone, and tackling piracy, drug trafficking, and other security threats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Key Focus Areas of India-Mauritius Ties<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Defence and Maritime Security<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India and Mauritius aim to enhance defence cooperation, with plans to sign a technical agreement for sharing white-shipping information.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>This will improve maritime security, protect trading routes, and strengthen regional data-sharing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Indian Development Projects<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India has provided nearly $1.1 billion in development assistance to Mauritius over the last decade, including $729 million in lines of credit and $427 million in grants.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Key projects include three phases of the Metro Express and 96 small-scale infrastructure initiatives, of which 51 have been completed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>India as a First Responder<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India has consistently supported Mauritius during crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the Wakashio oil spill in 2020, and a recent cyclone, reinforcing its role as a reliable partner.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trade and Investment<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Mauritius is a major economic partner, ranking as the second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India after Singapore.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The two countries signed the <strong>Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement in 2021,<\/strong>India&#8217;s first trade deal with an African nation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Several Indian PSUs, including Bank of Baroda, LIC, and NBCC, operate in Mauritius.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Space Cooperation<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India and Mauritius have collaborated in space research since 1986.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>In 2023, ISRO and the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) signed an MoU to develop a joint satellite, further strengthening space ties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Capacity Building and Education<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Mauritius is a significant beneficiary of India\u2019s ITEC programme, with around 4,940 Mauritians trained since 2002-03.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Additionally, 2,300 Indian students are pursuing higher education in Mauritius in fields such as medicine, hotel management, and business studies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cultural and Historical Connections<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The visit will highlight the legacy of Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, whose ancestors were from Bihar, and celebrate shared cultural traditions, including Maha Shivratri and the Ganga Talao pilgrimage site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>India-Mauritius Relations FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong> Why is PM Modi visiting Mauritius?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> PM Modi will attend Mauritius\u2019 National Day celebrations on March 12, strengthening diplomatic and strategic ties.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2. <\/strong>How is India supporting Mauritius in infrastructure?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>India funded Metro Express, Agal\u00e9ga airstrip, and small-scale projects, investing $1.1 billion in development assistance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3. <\/strong>What is the significance of Agal\u00e9ga Island?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>India helped develop Agal\u00e9ga\u2019s airstrip and jetty, enhancing Mauritius\u2019 maritime security and connectivity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4. <\/strong>How do India and Mauritius collaborate in trade?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>Mauritius is India\u2019s second-largest FDI source, and both nations signed a trade pact in 2021.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5. <\/strong>What cultural ties exist between India and Mauritius?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>Mauritius\u2019 Indian-origin population, shared festivals, and historical figures like Seewoosagur Ramgoolam strengthen cultural ties.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-health\/lancet-studies-obesity-overweight-9872323\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explore India-Mauritius relations, covering history, strategic cooperation, trade, defence, infrastructure projects, and cultural ties shaping bilateral engagement<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-45312","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}