PM Modi attends SCO summit to revive Central Asia ties and secure uncontested UNSC bid

Gist Prime Minister Narendra Modi is undertaking a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO summit and conduct bilateral engagements. The visit aims to revive the stalled India-Central Asia Summit, secure support for India’s upcoming UN Security Council bid, and mediate consensus for the forthcoming BRICS summit. For civil-services aspirants, this development highlights New Delhi's strategic imperative to re-engage with a critical geopolitical space where connectivity challenges and China's expanding economic footprint threaten to marginalise Indian influence. Background India-Central Asia Engagement: India made a major diplomatic push in the region in 2015 when PM Modi visited all five Central Asian states and promised enhanced connectivity during an address at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. India-Central Asia Summit: This dedicated multilateral platform was designed to institutionalise ties between New Delhi and the five republics, but it has not convened since 2022 , leading to regional perceptions of waning Indian interest. UNSC Non-Permanent Membership: Seats on the UN Security Council are allocated by regional blocs. Nations often negotiate for a "clean slate" an uncontested regional…