Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh to represent India at SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting in Tajikistan

1. At a Glance

• Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh will lead India at the 25th Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 19–20, 2026 [1].
• The CHG is the SCO's second-highest decision-making body. It meets every year on trade, economic cooperation and the Organisation's annual budget [2].
• India usually sends the EAM to the CHG [2]. A Defence Minister leading the delegation is unusual, which makes this a likely trap in statement-type MCQs.
• The SCO is a 10-member grouping where India sits alongside China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran and the Central Asian Republics. That makes it central to GS-II questions on regional groupings, Central Asia policy and counter-terrorism [2].

2. Why in the News

• 18 Oct 2026: The PIB release, issued under the Ministry of Defence, announced that Rajnath Singh will visit Dushanbe for the 25th CHG [1].
• Agenda: multilateral cooperation in trade, economy, investment, connectivity, innovation and cultural-humanitarian exchanges. The meeting will also review ongoing initiatives and take decisions on the SCO's financial and institutional functioning [1].
• Previous CHG: the 24th CHG was held in Moscow on 18 Nov 2025 under Russia's chairmanship, and EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar represented India [1][2].

3. Background & Evolution

• April 1996: the "Shanghai Five" was formed by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan [2].
• 15 June 2001: the SCO was established. Uzbekistan joined, so the grouping became the "Shanghai Six" [2].
• July 2005, Astana Summit: India, Iran and Pakistan were given Observer status [2].
• July 2015, Ufa (Russia): the SCO decided to admit India as a full member [2].
• June 2017, Astana Summit: India and Pakistan became full members [2].
• 30 Nov 2020: India hosted the 19th CHG virtually, chaired by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. This was the first summit-level SCO meeting under India's chairmanship, and a Joint Communiqué was adopted [2].
• 17 Sept 2022, Samarkand: India took over the CHS presidency [2].
• 4 July 2023: India hosted the 23rd CHS virtually, and Iran became a member [2].
• 3–4 July 2024, Astana: Belarus joined as the 10th member [2].
• 15–16 Oct 2024: the 23rd CHG was held in Pakistan [2].
• 31 Aug–1 Sept 2025: the 25th CHS was held in Tianjin, China [2].
• 18 Nov 2025: the 24th CHG was held in Moscow [2].
• 19–20 Oct 2026: the 25th CHG is being held in Dushanbe [1].

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Established	15 June 2001 [2]
Members (10)	Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus [2]
Observers (2)	Afghanistan, Mongolia [2]
Dialogue Partners (15)	Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Turkey, Sri Lanka, UAE, Kuwait, Maldives, Bahrain, Myanmar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar [2]
Official languages	Russian and Chinese (under the SCO Charter) [2]
Supreme body	Council of Heads of State (CHS). Meets every year and rotates in Russian alphabetical order [2]
Second-highest body	Council of Heads of Government (CHG). Covers trade, economy and the annual budget [2]
Other councils	CFM (Foreign Ministers) meets about a month before the CHS. CNC (National Coordinators) runs day-to-day coordination [2]
Permanent bodies (2)	SCO Secretariat, Beijing and RATS Executive Committee, Tashkent [2]
Secretary-General	Nurlan Yermekbaev (former Defence Minister of Kazakhstan). Took office Jan 2025 for a 3-year term [2]
India's budget share	5.9% [2]
India's posts	Deputy Secretary-General (Secretariat, Beijing) and Referent (RATS, Tashkent) [2]
India's National Coordinator	Additional Secretary (SCO), MEA [2]
Current CHS presidency	Kyrgyzstan (2025–26) [2]
India's usual representation	PM attends the CHS. EAM usually attends the CHG and the CFM [2]

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Geopolitical / Strategic

• The SCO is one of the few forums where India sits at the same table as China and Pakistan. It also gives India institutional access to Central Asia [2].
• The SCO's founding purpose is countering the "three evils": terrorism, separatism and extremism. RATS in Tashkent is the institutional anchor for this [2].
• At Tianjin (2025), members agreed to set up an SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats (covering organised crime and cyber/information threats) and an SCO Anti-Drug Center [2].
• The PIB release does not explain why a Defence Minister is leading India at the CHG, even though the forum's agenda is economic [1][2]. Any reading of the choice as a signal is interpretation only.

Economic

• The CHG's mandate covers trade, economic cooperation and the SCO budget [2]. The Dushanbe agenda includes investment and connectivity [1].
• India contributes 5.9% of the SCO's annual budget [2]. The Dushanbe meeting is expected to decide on the SCO's financial functioning [1].
• In 2020, India held Foreign Trade & Economy and Justice ministerial meetings, an SCO Business Conclave and the first Consortium of Economic Think-Tanks [2].

Scientific / Technological

• India pushes start-ups and innovation and digital public infrastructure in the SCO [1].
• In 2020, India launched the first SCO Startup Forum and proposed a Special Working Group on Innovation & Startups [2].
• India also hosted a Young Scientists Conclave (Nov 2020) [2]. Science & Technology was one of India's five new verticals in 2022–23 [2].

Social / Cultural (soft power)

• Varanasi was the first SCO Cultural and Tourism Capital (2022–23) [2].
• India held an Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage and translated 10 Indian regional-literature classics into Russian and Chinese [2].
• India proposed an Expert Working Group on Traditional Medicine and held a seminar on traditional medicine for SDG-3 [2].

Governance / Institutional

• India's 2022–23 CHS presidency theme was "SECURE": Security, Economic development, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, Environmental protection [2].
• More than 130 meetings/events, including 14 ministerial meetings, were held during India's presidency [2].
• India added five new verticals: Startups & Innovation, Traditional Medicine, S&T, Youth Empowerment and Shared Buddhist Heritage [2].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 15 July 2025: the CFM met in Tianjin [2].
• 31 Aug–1 Sept 2025: the 25th CHS in Tianjin approved the Universal Security Center and the Anti-Drug Center [2].
• 2025–26: Kyrgyzstan holds the CHS presidency [2].
• 18 Nov 2025: the 24th CHG met in Moscow, with India represented by EAM Jaishankar [1][2].
• 3 July 2026: MEA updated its Brief on India-SCO Cooperation [2].
• 18 Oct 2026: Rajnath Singh's participation in the 25th CHG, Dushanbe (19–20 Oct 2026) was announced [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• The 25th SCO CHG is in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Oct 19–20, 2026, and India is represented by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh [1].
• The 24th CHG was in Moscow, 18 Nov 2025, and India was represented by EAM S. Jaishankar [1].
• The SCO was founded on 15 June 2001. Its predecessor, the Shanghai Five, dates to April 1996 [2].
• Uzbekistan is the only founding member that was not part of the Shanghai Five [2].
• India became an Observer in 2005 (Astana), its admission was decided in 2015 (Ufa), and it became a full member in 2017 (Astana) [2].
• Iran became a member in 2023 (virtual summit hosted by India). Belarus became the 10th member in 2024 (Astana) [2].
• The official languages are Russian and Chinese only [2].
• The two permanent bodies are the Secretariat (Beijing) and RATS (Tashkent) [2].
• The CHS is the supreme body and rotates in Russian alphabetical order. The CHG is the second-highest body [2].
• The Observers are Afghanistan and Mongolia. There are 15 Dialogue Partners, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Myanmar [2].
• India's budget share is 5.9% [2].
• India hosted the 19th CHG (30 Nov 2020), chaired by VP Venkaiah Naidu [2].
• India's presidency theme was "SECURE" [2].
• Varanasi was the first SCO Cultural & Tourism Capital (2022–23) [2].
• The SCO Secretary-General is Nurlan Yermekbaev (Kazakhstan), in office since Jan 2025 [2].

8. Why Send a Defence Minister to an Economic Meeting?

• Nobody has officially given a reason. Treat any reason as a possibility, not a fact
• The PIB release only says who is going and what the agenda is. The CHG agenda is trade, investment, connectivity and the SCO budget [1][2].

• So an answer that says "India sent Rajnath Singh to push security issues" is guessing. Say "may signal", never "signals".

• The record of the person going shows what he usually raises at SCO meetings

• At the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao (June 2025), Rajnath Singh said every act of terrorism is criminal and cannot be justified. He asked that those who plan, fund and sponsor terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, be held accountable [3].
• He used the same forum to explain Operation Sindoor as India's response to the Pahalgam attack [3].

• At the next SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Kyrgyzstan, he again said that terrorism epicentres (the places where terrorism is planned and organised) "are no longer immune" from punishment [8].

• Why this matters for the CHG

• The CHG is not a security forum, but every minister who speaks there is heard by all 10 members, including Pakistan and China [2].
• If the Raksha Mantri brings the terrorism message into an economic meeting, India is saying security and trade cannot be kept apart. Whether he actually does will only be clear from his speech in Dushanbe.

9. Why India's Terror Language Gets Cut From SCO Documents

• A joint SCO document only goes out if all members accept the wording
• So a single member can water down or remove a line it does not like.

• Pakistan is a full member, and China is its close partner. Both sit at the same table as India [2].

• Qingdao 2025 shows how this works

• In Parliament, a Rajya Sabha question (answered 24 July 2025) asked which member countries rejected India's proposal to mention the April 2025 Pahalgam attack at the Qingdao Defence Ministers' Meeting [6].

• The question's title is "Exclusion of Pahalgam terror attack from SCO declaration". So the attack India most wanted named was left out at the ministerial level [6].

• At the summit level, the result was different

• At Tianjin (Sept 2025), PM Modi thanked members for their "strong solidarity" after Pahalgam and asked the group to hold the backers of cross-border terror accountable [7].

• Lesson for answers: India does better on terrorism at the leaders' summit (CHS) than at sectoral ministerial meetings, where a single objection can block the text.

• The anti-terror body includes the country India blames

• RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) in Tashkent is the SCO's counter-terror body, and India has a post there [2].
• Pakistan is also a member. So RATS cannot easily name state sponsorship of terrorism, which is India's main complaint [3].

10. Is the SCO Worth India's Time? The Case Against, and the Answer

• The strongest objection
• The SCO's two permanent bodies sit in Beijing and Tashkent. Its only official languages are Russian and Chinese [2].
• India pays 5.9% of the budget [2] but cannot get Pahalgam into a ministerial text [6]. A critic would say India pays to sit in a forum shaped by China.

• This objection is fair. India does not set the SCO's direction and often has to accept weaker wording.

• Answer 1: the side meetings are where the real work happens

• At Qingdao, Rajnath Singh held a one-to-one meeting with China's Defence Minister [4].
• On the same trip he met the Defence Ministers of Belarus, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan and briefed them on Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor [5].

• Very few other forums give India this much access to Central Asian ministers in one place.

• Answer 2: India has got its own wording adopted before

• During India's chairmanship, SCO Heads of State issued a joint statement on countering radicalisation that leads to terrorism, separatism and extremism [3].

• So India can shape the text when it holds the chair and prepares the drafts.

• Answer 3: staying outside would leave the room to China and Pakistan

• India is one of only two South Asian full members, and the other is Pakistan [2].
• Leaving would hand Pakistan an uncontested voice on terrorism inside a body that includes Russia and the Central Asian Republics.

11. What to Watch in Dushanbe

• MoD/MEA: will India put terrorism into an economic forum's text?
• India's Qingdao experience shows ministerial texts can drop India's terror language [6].

• Watch whether the Dushanbe CHG communiqué (the joint statement issued at the end) says anything on terrorism, or stays on trade and budget only [1].

• India's delegation: the budget decision

• The meeting will decide on the SCO's financial and institutional functioning [1].

• India pays 5.9% [2]. That share gives India a voice when the new Tianjin bodies (the Universal Security Center and the Anti-Drug Center) are funded [2].

• Side meetings with the host and neighbours

• Tajikistan is the host. Rajnath Singh has met the Tajik Defence Minister on SCO sidelines before [5].
• Any bilateral meeting with China in Dushanbe would continue the defence-level talks held at Qingdao [4].

12. Anchors for Answers

• Data: India pays 5.9% of the SCO's annual budget [2]
• Report/Committee: Rajya Sabha Question No. 567, "Exclusion of Pahalgam terror attack from SCO declaration" (answered 24 July 2025). Shows India's terror wording being blocked at the Qingdao Defence Ministers' Meeting [6]
• Report/Committee: SCO Heads of State joint statement on countering radicalisation (adopted under India's chairmanship). A precedent for India getting its own counter-terror wording adopted [3]
• Comparison: Qingdao Defence Ministers' Meeting 2025, where the Pahalgam mention was excluded [6], vs the Tianjin Summit 2025, where the PM thanked members for their solidarity on Pahalgam [7]

13. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: "Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests"; "India and its neighbourhood".
• GS-III (secondary): "Security challenges and their management in border areas"; "Linkages of organised crime with terrorism" (RATS, the Anti-Drug Center).
• Possible questions: 1. Despite structural asymmetries and the presence of strategic rivals, the SCO remains a valuable platform for India's Central Asia outreach. Critically examine. (15 marks) 2. Discuss India's contributions to shaping the SCO agenda since full membership in 2017, with reference to its 2020 CHG chairship and 2022–23 presidency. (10 marks) 3. How effective has the SCO been in addressing the 'three evils' of terrorism, separatism and extremism? Suggest how India can leverage RATS. (15 marks)

14. Related Topics to Study Next

• SCO-RATS (Tashkent): the SCO's counter-terrorism body, where India holds a designated post.
• India's Connect Central Asia policy / India–Central Asia Summit: the bilateral side of India's SCO engagement.
• International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chabahar: connectivity with Iran and Central Asia, now that Iran is an SCO member.
• BRICS: another non-Western grouping that overlaps with the SCO (China, Russia, Iran, India). Useful for comparison questions.
• CSTO and the Eurasian Economic Union: Russia-led Eurasian groupings that overlap with SCO membership.
• India–Tajikistan relations (Ayni/Farkhor): India's strategic footprint in the host country.
• Digital Public Infrastructure diplomacy: India's DPI push in the SCO, G20 and other forums.
• Belt and Road Initiative: the main reason India does not endorse SCO connectivity language favouring BRI.

15. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Separatism (Polity): Separatism is one of the SCO's 'three evils' with terrorism and extremism; it defines the group's security mandate.
• Belt and Road Initiative (Geography): China's BRI explains why India does not back SCO connectivity language and shapes India's wariness inside the grouping.
• International North-South Transport Corridor (Geography): Links India to Iran, Russia and Central Asia, showing why connectivity matters now that Iran is an SCO member.
• Government budget (Economy): The CHG approves the SCO's annual budget, where India's 5.9% share gives it a voice.
• Startup (Economy): India pushes startups and innovation in the SCO, including the Startup Forum launched in 2020.
• Digital public infrastructure (Polity): India promotes its digital public infrastructure model in the SCO as part of its technology diplomacy.

16. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• CHS vs CHG: the CHS is the supreme body attended by the PM. The CHG is the second-highest body, focused on economy and budget. Kyrgyzstan holds the CHS presidency for 2025–26, while the 25th CHG is in Tajikistan [1][2]. Don't mix them up.
• Who usually represents India at the CHG: normally the EAM, not the Defence Minister or the PM [2]. The 2026 Defence Minister representation [1] is the exception. Also keep the CHG separate from the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting, which is its own mechanism [2].
• Languages and headquarters: the only official languages are Russian and Chinese, not English. RATS is in Tashkent, not Beijing [2].
• Accession years: India got Observer status in 2005, its admission was decided in 2015, and it joined in 2017. Iran joined in 2023 and Belarus in 2024. Don't treat the Ufa 2015 decision as the year India joined [2].
• Afghanistan's status: it is an Observer, not a Dialogue Partner. Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Myanmar are Dialogue Partners [2].