India and Its Neighbours; International Organisations and Treaties

This chapter answers the "India and neighbours" and "international organisations" items of the general-knowledge and general-studies papers of police recruitment exams (constable and sub-inspector). It teaches, for Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China and Myanmar, the boundary facts, treaties and cooperation that questions ask about; the regional groups SAARC and BIMSTEC; the United Nations and its six principal organs; the major specialised agencies and their headquarters; and the disarmament treaties and the bodies that run them. Membership, summit dates and office-holders change, so every such fact below carries a date; the structures and purposes are what stay stable.

Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh

Nepal and Bhutan are Himalayan buffer neighbours with open or special arrangements with India. India and Nepal signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1950, which is the basis of the open border and of the right of citizens of each country to live and work in the other. The border touches five Indian states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim. Bhutan is linked by a friendship treaty first signed in 1949 and revised in 2007; it borders Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Bangladesh was created in 1971 with India's support in the Liberation War and has India's longest land border, touching West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. Three items are examinable. The Ganga Waters Treaty of December 1996 shares dry-season Ganga flow at the Farakka barrage. The Land Boundary Agreement was given effect by the 100th Constitution Amendment (2015), under which enclaves were exchanged on 1 August 2015. The Teesta water-sharing arrangement remains unsettled.

🧠 Border states in a line
Nepal = 5 states (Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, WB, Sikkim). Bhutan = 4 (Sikkim, WB, Assam, Arunachal). Bangladesh = 5 (WB, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram). Sikkim and West Bengal touch both Nepal and Bhutan; Bihar touches Nepal only.

Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China and Myanmar

Sri Lanka is a maritime neighbour across the Palk Strait; Adam's Bridge (Ram Setu) is the chain of shoals between the two coasts. The Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 (Rajiv Gandhi and J. R. Jayewardene) led to the Indian Peace Keeping Force and to Sri Lanka's 13th Amendment on devolution. The 1974 agreement fixed the maritime boundary in the Palk Strait and placed Katchatheevu island on the Sri Lankan side.

Pakistan came into being with the 1947 partition; the Radcliffe Line is the international boundary and the Line of Control separates the two sides in Jammu and Kashmir. Peace texts to remember: Tashkent Declaration (1966, Shastri and Ayub Khan, after the 1965 war), Shimla Agreement (1972, Indira Gandhi and Z. A. Bhutto, after the 1971 war) and the Lahore Declaration (1999). The Indus Waters Treaty (1960, Nehru and Ayub Khan, brokered by the World Bank) gave the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India and the three western (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan, with limited Indian use. On 23 April 2025 India announced that it was holding the treaty in abeyance; Pakistan disputes this, and the position is contested as of October 2026, so a safe question asks only about the 1960 content.

China: the Panchsheel (five principles of peaceful coexistence) were stated in the 1954 agreement on Tibet trade and intercourse; the 1962 war was fought over the boundary. The boundary has three sectors: western (Ladakh, with Aksai Chin under Chinese control), middle (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) and eastern (Arunachal Pradesh, where the McMahon Line of 1914 is the reference line, and Sikkim, whose boundary follows the 1890 Anglo-Chinese convention). The actual boundary is called the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Myanmar borders Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram; the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project links Kolkata to Mizoram via Sittwe port, and Myanmar is India's land gateway to South-East Asia under the Act East policy.

🧠 Channels by degree
The Eight Degree Channel separates Minicoy (Lakshadweep, India) from the Maldives; the Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the rest of Lakshadweep; the Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman from the Nicobar islands. Maldives, like Sri Lanka, is a maritime neighbour with no land border.
⚠️ Tashkent or Shimla?
Tashkent (1966) follows the 1965 war and was signed in Soviet Uzbekistan under Soviet mediation; Shimla (1972) follows the 1971 war and is bilateral, signed in India. Panchsheel (1954) is with China; the Indus Waters Treaty (1960) is with Pakistan; the Ganga Waters Treaty (1996) is with Bangladesh.

Treaties in order and the boundary lines

Neighbour treaties and lines in chronological order
YearItemWith
1914McMahon Line (Simla Convention)Tibet/China boundary, eastern sector
1947Radcliffe LinePakistan (and east Pakistan)
1950Treaty of Peace and FriendshipNepal
1954Panchsheel agreementChina
1960Indus Waters TreatyPakistan
1966Tashkent DeclarationPakistan
1972Shimla AgreementPakistan
1974Palk Strait maritime boundary agreementSri Lanka
1987Indo-Lanka AccordSri Lanka
1996Ganga Waters TreatyBangladesh
2007Revised Friendship TreatyBhutan
2015Land Boundary Agreement in force (100th Amendment)Bangladesh
🧠 Hook for the 1960s and 1970s
Water, then war-peace pairs: 1960 Indus (water) then 1966 Tashkent after the 1965 war, then 1972 Shimla after 1971. Years that end in 6 (1966, 1996) are Tashkent and Ganga.

SAARC and BIMSTEC

SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) was founded at the Dhaka summit of 7 to 8 December 1985, an idea pushed by Bangladesh's President Ziaur Rahman. The seven founders were Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; Afghanistan joined as the eighth member at the April 2007 (14th) summit. The Secretariat is in Kathmandu. Decisions are by consensus and bilateral disputes are excluded. The 18th summit was held in Kathmandu in 2014; the 19th, planned for Islamabad in 2016, was postponed, and as reported through 2025 no summit has been held since, so the body is largely dormant.

BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) began on 6 June 1997 with the Bangkok Declaration, first as four countries (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand), then Myanmar (1997), and Nepal and Bhutan (2004). It has seven members, five from South Asia and two (Myanmar, Thailand) from South-East Asia, and links the two regions without Pakistan or Afghanistan. Its Secretariat is in Dhaka. The 6th summit was held in Bangkok on 4 April 2025, which adopted the Bangkok Vision 2030 and passed the chair to Bangladesh.

⚠️ Two secretariats, two capitals
SAARC secretariat = Kathmandu; BIMSTEC secretariat = Dhaka. Pakistan is in SAARC, not BIMSTEC; Myanmar and Thailand are in BIMSTEC, not SAARC. Both memberships are as of October 2026 sources.

The United Nations and its organs

The UN Charter was signed at San Francisco on 26 June 1945 and came into force on 24 October 1945 (celebrated as United Nations Day) with 51 original members, India among them. The membership stands at 193 states (as of October 2026). The headquarters is in New York. There are six principal organs.

Principal organs of the UN
OrganKey factsSeat
General AssemblyAll members; one state, one vote; deliberativeNew York
Security Council15 members: 5 permanent with veto (China, France, Russia, UK, USA) and 10 elected for two yearsNew York
Economic and Social CouncilCoordinates economic and social work and the specialised agenciesNew York
Trusteeship CouncilSupervised trust territories; suspended operations in 1994New York
International Court of Justice15 judges, nine-year terms; settles disputes between statesThe Hague
SecretariatHeaded by the Secretary-General, chosen by the General Assembly on the Security Council's recommendationNew York
⚠️ Only the Court is outside New York
The International Court of Justice at The Hague is the only principal organ not seated in New York. A permanent member can block a substantive Security Council resolution by veto; abstaining does not block it. India's most recent two-year non-permanent term ended in 2022; it is not a permanent member.

Agencies and disarmament treaties

Agencies and their headquarters
BodyHeadquartersBodyHeadquarters
WHOGenevaUNESCOParis
FAORomeILOGeneva
IMF / World BankWashington, D.C.UNEPNairobi
IAEAViennaOPCWThe Hague
UNICEFNew YorkICAOMontreal

Disarmament rests on a few treaties. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was opened for signature in 1968 and came into force in 1970; it recognises as nuclear-weapon states only those that tested before 1 January 1967 and India has not signed it. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), adopted in 1996, has not entered into force and India has not signed it; its organisation sits in Vienna. The Biological Weapons Convention (1972) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (1993, run by the OPCW) are both joined by India. The IAEA promotes peaceful nuclear use and inspects safeguards. India tested in 1974 and in May 1998 and follows a no-first-use policy.

🧠 Vienna and The Hague
Vienna = Atom bodies (IAEA, CTBT organisation). Hague = Harm bodies and law: OPCW (chemical weapons) and the ICJ. Geneva holds WHO, ILO and the human-rights council.

Key takeaways

  • Nepal (1950 treaty, 5 border states), Bhutan (2007 revised treaty, 4 states) and Bangladesh (longest border; Ganga Waters Treaty 1996; Land Boundary Agreement via the 100th Amendment, 2015).
  • Pakistan: Indus Waters 1960, Tashkent 1966, Shimla 1972, Lahore 1999; India put the Indus treaty in abeyance on 23 April 2025 (disputed). China: Panchsheel 1954, McMahon Line 1914, LAC.
  • SAARC: Dhaka 1985, eight members since 2007, Secretariat Kathmandu, no summit since 2014 per 2025 reports. BIMSTEC: 1997, seven members, Secretariat Dhaka, 6th summit Bangkok 4 April 2025.
  • The UN began in 1945 with 51 members and now has 193; it has six organs, and only the ICJ (The Hague) sits outside New York. The Security Council has 5 permanent members with veto and 10 elected for two years.
  • Headquarters: WHO, ILO Geneva; UNESCO Paris; FAO Rome; IAEA Vienna; OPCW The Hague; UNEP Nairobi; IMF and World Bank Washington.
  • India has not signed the NPT or the CTBT; it is a party to the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions.

Practice questions (17)

Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.

  1. The Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed in 1950 forms the basis of India's open border arrangement with which country?

    1. Bhutan
    2. Bangladesh
    3. Myanmar
    4. Nepal
    Show answer

    Answer: D — Nepal

    The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship is with Nepal and underlies the open border and the right of citizens to live and work in the other country. Bhutan is the tempting alternative, but its treaty dates from 1949 and was revised in 2007.

  2. Which of these Indian states shares a border with Nepal but NOT with Bhutan?

    1. West Bengal
    2. Bihar
    3. Sikkim
    4. Assam
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Bihar

    Bihar borders Nepal only. West Bengal and Sikkim touch both Nepal and Bhutan, while Assam touches Bhutan but not Nepal, so Assam is the tempting but wrong choice.

  3. The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 was signed between India and which country?

    1. China
    2. Bangladesh
    3. Pakistan
    4. Afghanistan, under UN auspices
    Show answer

    Answer: C — Pakistan

    The treaty is with Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank. Bangladesh is the partner of the Ganga Waters Treaty of 1996, which is the usual swap.

  4. Which pairing of agreement and the war it followed is correct?

    1. Tashkent Declaration, 1965 war
    2. Shimla Agreement, 1965 war
    3. Tashkent Declaration, 1971 war
    4. Lahore Declaration, 1962 war
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Tashkent Declaration, 1965 war

    Tashkent (1966) closed the 1965 war; Shimla (1972) followed the 1971 war. The Shimla-1965 pairing swaps these, and Lahore (1999) has no link to the 1962 war with China.

  5. Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 (its original text), which rivers were allotted to India for its unrestricted use?

    1. Indus, Jhelum and Chenab
    2. Ravi, Beas and Sutlej
    3. Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej
    4. Beas, Jhelum and Indus
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej

    The eastern rivers Ravi, Beas and Sutlej went to India; the western Indus, Jhelum and Chenab went to Pakistan, with limited Indian use. The option naming the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab reverses the allocation.

  6. Statements. P: The Ganga Waters Treaty (December 1996) concerns sharing of water at the Farakka barrage. Q: It was signed with Nepal. R: The Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh was given effect by the 100th Constitution Amendment (2015). Which statements are correct?

    1. Q and R only
    2. P and Q only
    3. P, Q and R
    4. P and R only
    Show answer

    Answer: D — P and R only

    P and R are correct. Q is wrong because the 1996 treaty is with Bangladesh, not Nepal; hence any option containing Q fails.

  7. The Katchatheevu island lies in a strait between India and Sri Lanka. By the 1974 maritime boundary agreement it was placed on the Sri Lankan side. Which strait is this?

    1. Bab-el-Mandeb
    2. Palk Strait
    3. Malacca Strait
    4. Strait of Hormuz
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Palk Strait

    Katchatheevu is in the Palk Strait between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Malacca is the strait between Malaysia and Sumatra and has no connection with the 1974 agreement.

  8. The McMahon Line of 1914 is the reference line for which sector of the India-China boundary?

    1. Western sector, in Ladakh and Aksai Chin
    2. Middle sector, Himachal and Uttarakhand
    3. Eastern sector, along Arunachal Pradesh
    4. Southern sector, Mizoram
    Show answer

    Answer: C — Eastern sector, along Arunachal Pradesh

    The McMahon Line belongs to the eastern sector. The western sector involves Aksai Chin, which is the commonly confused area; there is no southern sector of the India-China boundary.

  9. Where is the Secretariat of SAARC located?

    1. Kathmandu
    2. New Delhi
    3. Dhaka
    4. Colombo
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Kathmandu

    The SAARC Secretariat is in Kathmandu. Dhaka hosts the founding summit of 1985 and the BIMSTEC Secretariat, which is the usual mix-up.

  10. As per sources of October 2026, which country is a member of BIMSTEC but NOT of SAARC?

    1. Bhutan
    2. Sri Lanka
    3. Nepal
    4. Thailand
    Show answer

    Answer: D — Thailand

    Thailand (with Myanmar) is in BIMSTEC only. Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal belong to both groups, so each is wrong.

  11. Arrange in order of occurrence, earliest first. P: BIMSTEC (Bangkok Declaration). Q: SAARC (Dhaka summit). R: SAARC admits Afghanistan as eighth member. S: BIMSTEC 6th summit in Bangkok.

    1. Q, R, P, S
    2. Q, P, S, R
    3. Q, P, R, S
    4. P, Q, R, S
    Show answer

    Answer: C — Q, P, R, S

    SAARC 1985 (Q), BIMSTEC 1997 (P), Afghanistan joins SAARC 2007 (R), BIMSTEC summit April 2025 (S). Placing BIMSTEC before SAARC is the usual error.

  12. Which principal organ of the United Nations has its seat at The Hague?

    1. International Court of Justice
    2. Security Council
    3. Secretariat
    4. Economic and Social Council
    Show answer

    Answer: A — International Court of Justice

    The International Court of Justice sits at The Hague and is the only principal organ outside New York. The Security Council and the other organs are seated in New York.

  13. Which of these is NOT a permanent member of the UN Security Council?

    1. Russia
    2. Japan
    3. China
    4. France
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Japan

    The five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Japan has served only as an elected non-permanent member.

  14. The UN Security Council has 15 members. Two-year terms are held by a fixed number of elected members. If the permanent members are 5, how many elected non-permanent members are there, and who elects them?

    1. 10, nominated by the permanent members
    2. 5, elected by the General Assembly
    3. 10, elected by the Secretariat
    4. 10, elected by the General Assembly
    Show answer

    Answer: D — 10, elected by the General Assembly

    15 minus 5 gives 10 elected members, chosen by the General Assembly. Nomination by the permanent members is wrong; they hold the veto but do not select the others.

  15. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has its headquarters in which city?

    1. Paris
    2. Geneva
    3. Vienna
    4. The Hague
    Show answer

    Answer: C — Vienna

    The IAEA is in Vienna. The Hague hosts the OPCW, the chemical weapons body, and that is the tempting wrong answer.

  16. Statements as of October 2026. P: India has signed the NPT. Q: The CTBT, adopted in 1996, has entered into force. R: India is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, run by the OPCW. S: The NPT came into force in 1970. Which are correct?

    1. R and S only
    2. P and Q only
    3. Q and S only
    4. P, R and S
    Show answer

    Answer: A — R and S only

    R and S are right. P is wrong because India has not signed the NPT, and Q is wrong because the CTBT has not entered into force.

  17. The UN Charter came into force on 24 October 1945 with 51 original members. If the membership is 193 (as of October 2026), how many states have joined since the founding?

    1. 152
    2. 144
    3. 142
    4. 132
    Show answer

    Answer: C — 142

    193 minus 51 is 142 states. The figure 152 is an arithmetic slip, while 144 would come from taking 49 as the base.