India-China — Border Dispute, BRI, String of Pearls, Maritime Competition

What should you study in India-China?

• LAC standoff post-Galwan — buffer zones, patrol points
• BRI — CPEC through PoK, opaque financing, Hambantota precedent
• String of Pearls — Gwadar, Hambantota, Chittagong, Kyaukphyu
• Maritime Silk Road — Indo-Pacific as India's counter-framing

How often is India-China asked in UPSC Mains?

Asked in 5 of 10 years, including 2 of the last 5. Highlighted years below are the ones it appeared in.

1. 2016: asked
2. 2017: not asked
3. 2018: asked
4. 2019: not asked
5. 2020: asked
6. 2021: not asked
7. 2022: asked
8. 2023: not asked
9. 2024: asked
10. 2025: not asked

About the Mains GS Paper II paper

GS Paper II is a 250-mark descriptive Mains paper covering governance, the Constitution, polity, social justice and international relations. See all 40 Mains GS Paper II topics.

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