TEN CRITICAL QUESTIONS ON CURRENT GEOPLOITICAL AND NATIONAL ISSUES – 176

PRERNA FOR IAS

(ASSOCIATE OF SAMKALP)

TEN CRITICAL QUESTIONS ON CURRENT GEOPLOITICAL AND NATIONAL ISSUES – 176

1. Why should an apparently minor naval collision between India and Pakistan be treated as a serious strategic issue?

Answer: A naval collision becomes strategically important when it involves two nuclear-armed neighbours with a history of military tension. The recent incident in the North Arabian Sea caused no casualties, but India alleged unsafe conduct and invoked existing confidence-building arrangements. The main danger is miscalculation rather than deliberate war. A local commander may misunderstand another ship's movement, producing retaliation and escalation. Therefore, India should combine a firm diplomatic response with professional communication, hotlines and strict observance of maritime protocols. In my view, confidence-building measures are most valuable precisely when political relations are poor, because they prevent accidents from becoming crises.

2. Is charging merchants for some UPI transactions a retreat from India's digital-public-infrastructure model?