India's Africa Policy: A Case Study of the 'Alignment over Instruction' Approach in Namibia
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: International Relations (India-Africa relations, Global South, key initiatives like UPI export, GBA, CDRI), Economy (Critical Minerals).
Mains:
GS Paper 2: India and its neighborhood- relations; Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.
GS Paper 3: Indian Economy (Energy Security, Digital Economy).
Key Highlights from the News
Main Topic: The article analyzes India's diplomatic approach to Africa, using its relationship with Namibia as an example.
India's Approach: India's approach is quiet and adaptive, prioritizing cooperation over instruction (alignment over instruction).
India's Three-step Logic:
Shared History: Reinforce historical solidarity by recalling the anti-colonial heritage.
Practical Present: Current cooperation focused on capacity-building (e.g., IT centers).
Investment in the Future: Knowledge-based cooperation. Namibia becoming the first African country to adopt India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is an example.
Difference from Western Approach: Western countries' approach often focuses on conditional aid and preventing migration.
India's Drawbacks:
Uneven implementation of projects.
Long gaps in high-level visits.
Failure to secure a major deal on critical minerals like uranium is seen as a lost opportunity.
Way Forward: The upcoming India-Africa Forum Summit is a crucial platform to strengthen this relationship, moving beyond symbolism.
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