September 22, 2025

Current Affairs

Saudi Arabia-Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement

Context: Recently, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement which formalised the defence and security partnership between the countries.

Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Key provisions of the pact; Implications for India’s strategic interests.

The pact comes in the aftermath of Israel’s strike in Qatar and amid growing regional instability in West Asia, including threats from Iran, Yemen’s Houthis, and Israel’s assertiveness.

Key Feature of the Defence Pact

Mutual Defence Clause: Any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.
Strategic Objectives:
- To enhance defence cooperation, joint training, and military exchanges.
- To strengthen joint deterrence against regional adversaries.

Pakistan has announced that its nuclear programme will be made available to Saudi Arabia, if needed, under the new defence pact.

Saudi Arabia-Pakistan Defence Partnership:

The partnership has deep historical roots shaped by shared security concerns and sustained military cooperation since the 1960s.

Historical Background of Defence Cooperation:

1960s: Pakistani troops were stationed in Saudi Arabia to bolster internal and regional security.
1979: Pakistan’s special forces assisted during the Grand Mosque seizure in Mecca.
1982: A Bilateral Security Cooperation Agreement institutionalised defence ties, enabling training, advisory roles, and Pakistani arms supply to Saudi Arabia.

Historically, the Saudi-Pakistan defence equation, underpinned by religious commonality, has been defined by Saudi economic support and Pakistani military assistance. Pakistani military personnel have trained Saudi forces, while Riyadh has provided crucial financial and energy support.

Implications of the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan Defence Pact:

For Saudi Arabia:

Strategic Security: Strengthens deterrence against Iran and its proxies like Houthis, militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon.
Regional Balancing: It demonstrates Riyadh’s strategic autonomy, diversifying its defence alignments beyond exclusive reliance on the United States.

For Pakistan:

Military Benefits: Access to advanced weaponry (possibly via Saudi financing of the US arms purchases).
Economic Relief: Strengthens Pakistan’s bargaining power for financial aid and investments from Riyadh.
Geopolitical Leverage: Reinforces Pakistan’s role in Muslim world security architecture.
Domestic Prestige: Enhances the political capital of Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership.

India’s Position and Concerns:

India is aware of the long-standing arrangement and will study its implications for national security and regional stability. The strategic concerns include:

Saudi financing may indirectly bolster Pakistan’s military capabilities altering the regional balance of power to India’s disadvantage.
The pact’s mutual defence clause could embolden Pakistan, complicating India’s security calculus in South Asia.

For Saudi Arabia, its partnership with India continues to offer greater economic and strategic value. A core characteristic of India’s strategic autonomy has been to develop its own relationship with Saudi Arabia (and other countries) with a focus on leveraging India’s economic heft.

Also Read: India-Saudi Arabia Relations

Why did India condemn the Doha Strike?

Context: India’s condemnation of Israel’s strike in Qatar as a “violation of sovereignty” marks a rare departure from its otherwise muted responses to Israeli operations in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and elsewhere.

Relevance of the Topic: Mains: India - Qatar Relations.

Israel targets Hamas leadership in Qatar strike

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) carried out an airstrike in Doha, Qatar, targeting a house where senior Hamas leaders were meeting to discuss a U.S. backed ceasefire proposal.
At the UN Human Rights Council, India has stated that the attacks threaten peace, stability and security and condemned the attacks as a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. India invoked the UN Charter and international law emphasising that escalation must be avoided.

Traditionally, India has reacted with caution or silence to Israeli strikes across West Asia, often limiting itself to expressions of “concern.” Even when Israeli actions affected Indian interests in Iran, India’s response was inconsistent, initially distancing itself from an SCO statement condemning Israeli strikes before later joining a similar declaration.

Why is Qatar Treated Differently?

Qatar’s importance for India stems from multiple factors :

Qatar hosts a large Indian diaspora of over 7.5 lakh people whose welfare and remittances are vital for India.
Qatar is a key supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) making it crucial for India’s energy security.
Strong personal and leadership-level ties exist between the Indian Prime Minister and the Qatari Emir adding weight to the bilateral relationship.
The Israeli strike in Doha directly threatens the security architecture of the Gulf where the U.S. bases are located, raising concerns for India’s broader regional interests.

While New Delhi’s partnership with Israel in defence and technology remains strong, its silence on Gaza amid heavy civilian casualties has strained goodwill in the Arab world. India’s condemnation of Israel’s strike in Doha coupled with India’s recent UNGA vote for a two-state solution, suggests a balancing effort to reassure Arab partners while maintaining ties with Israel.

Also Read: India Qatar elevate ties to Strategic Partnership

This recalibration becomes even more significant in the backdrop of the Saudi-Pakistan Mutual Defence Pact and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s push for a joint defence mechanism.

Sarnath: India’s UNESCO Nomination for 2025-26

Context: India has officially nominated Sarnath for the UNESCO World Heritage List (2025-26 cycle) ending its 27-year wait on the tentative list.

Ahead of a UNESCO team’s visit, the ASI will install a corrected plaque crediting Babu Jagat Singh (1787-88) a local ruler, instead of the British, for the rediscovery of the site.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Sarnath.

Historical and Religious Significance

Sarnath is a major Buddhist pilgrimage site where the Gautam Buddha delivered his first sermon around 528 BCE.
Located about 10 km from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
It is also the place where the Buddhist sangha (community) was first formed.
Ancient texts refer to the place as Mrigadava (Deer Park) or Rishipatana.
Emperor Ashoka (268-232 BCE) erected the famous Lion Capital Pillar at Sarnath, now the national emblem of India. He commissioned monastic structures including the Dhamek Stupa, which marks the spot of the first sermon.
Later dynasties, including the Kushanas (1st-4th century CE) and the Guptas (3rd-6th century CE) continued to patronise and expand the site.

Decline and Destruction:

Sarnath flourished as a monastic centre until the 12th century CE, after which it was destroyed and abandoned.
Historical accounts attribute this decline to invasions by Qutb-ud-din Aibak (1193 CE) during Muhammad Ghor’s campaign, when temples and monasteries were sacked.
By the 13th century, Sarnath was in ruins coinciding with the decline of Buddhism in India.

Rediscovery and Modern Excavations:

The site was rediscovered in 1787-88 when workers of Jagat Singh, Diwan of Raja Chait Singh of Benares, unearthed Buddhist relics while digging for construction materials.
In 1799, the site drew wider attention when Jonathan Duncan, a prominent indologist and founder of the Sanskrit College at Varanasi, described the discoveries in his writings. His account spurred interest among British scholars and laid the foundation for systematic excavations.
Alexander Cunningham (1835-36), founder of the Archaeological survey of India (ASI), carried out excavations and confirmed Sarnath as the site of the Buddha’s first sermon.
The most significant excavations, however, were carried out in 1904-05. They unearthed over 470 relics and 41 inscriptions giving the site its current archaeological identity.

Contemporary Significance:

Today, Sarnath is recognised as one of the four holiest Buddhist pilgrimage sites, along with Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, and Kushinagara.
In 2024-25, over 8.43 lakh visitors visited the site, according to ASI data.
Its nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List underscores India’s efforts to preserve and promote its Buddhist heritage globally.

Advanced Air Defence Radars

Context: The Indian Army has initiated the procurement of a new range of advanced Air Defence (AD) radars to strengthen its surveillance and strike capabilities along the Northern and Western borders.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About radar and its working.

This step comes in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor (May 2025) during which some Pakistani drones intruded into Indian airspace which exposed serious gaps in India’s air defence coverage.

What is Radar?

Radar is the acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging.
It is a specialised electronic system that uses radio waves to determine the direction, distance, and velocity of target objects.
Air Defence radars are used by the military to search, detect, identify, and help destroy aerial threats.

How Radar Works?

A radar comprises two basic components: Transmitter and Receiver.
A transmitter sends out radio signals, and a receiver collects any reflected signals from the target.
The angular direction of a target is determined based on the direction from which the reflected signals are received. The measurement of the location of a target at successive moments helps calculate its trajectory.

There are primarily two kinds of Air Defence Radars: Surveillance radars and Fire control radars.

Surveillance Radars: These constantly scan the skies to detect aerial objects. They provide early warning but are not directly linked to weapon systems.
Fire Control Radars: These provide precise tracking data to guide surface-to-air guns and missile systems for neutralising threats.

Current Air Defence Radar Capabilities in India:

Both the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) operate surveillance and fire control radars. The IAF manages most High Power Radars (HPRs) and Medium Power Radars (MPRs).
- They can detect and track aerial threats several hundred kilometres away, especially at higher altitudes.
- These radars are essential against high-value threats such as fighter jets, enemy transport aircraft, and Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS).
Both the IAF and Army also operate Low Level Light Weight Radars (LLLRs), which are designed to detect smaller aerial objects flying at low altitudes.
For fire control, the IAF uses the 3D Central Acquisition Radar and the Rajendra Radar, while the Army primarily employs Flycatchers (indigenously upgraded Super Fledermaus) and the Air Defence Tactical Control Radar.

Issues with the Existing Infrastructure:

Many of the Army’s radars are aging and inadequate for detecting low-RCS drones and UAV swarms.
- The Radar Cross Section (RCS) is a measure of how detectable an object is to radar, usually expressed in square metres. A lower RCS makes an object harder to detect.
During Operation Sindoor (2025), Pakistan used hundreds of drones, including decoys and attack UAVs, to breach Indian airspace and expose system vulnerabilities.

Experiences from conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza show that traditional air defence systems are easily overwhelmed by swarms of drones and stealthy aerial objects, underscoring the urgent need for modernised detection and response systems in India.

The Army has sought to procure up to 45 Low Level Light Weight Radars (Enhanced), up to 48 Air Defence Fire Control Radar-Drone Detectors (ADFCR-DD), and 10 Low Level Light Weight Radars (Improved).

Significance:

These systems will specifically address challenges posed by small, low-flying, and low- Radar Cross Section (RCS drones) which older radars struggle to detect.
Enhanced LLLRs will provide accurate detection and transmit target data to weapons up to 10 km away.
ADFCR-DDs will allow identification, classification, and engagement of even the smallest drones, thereby making counter-drone operations more effective.

The procurement of advanced AD radars enhances India’s preparedness against emerging aerial threats and supports the creation of a seamless multi-layered defence shield envisioned under Mission Sudarshan Chakra.