1. Mauritius
Why in the News?
- On 8 September 2025, INS Shardul of the Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS) arrived at Port Louis, Mauritius, as part of a deployment in the southwest Indian Ocean Region.
- The visit included joint patrolling and EEZ surveillance with the Mauritius Coast Guard and reaffirmed strong India–Mauritius defence and maritime cooperation.
- The exercise was aligned with India’s “MAHASAGAR” vision for regional stability and maritime collaboration in the Indian Ocean Region.
About Mauritius
- Mauritius is a small island nation in the southwest Indian Ocean, located about 900 km east of Madagascar.
- The country includes the main island of Mauritius and smaller islands such as Rodrigues, Agalega, and Cargados Carajos Shoals (St. Brandon).
- Capital: Port Louis; Official language: English, but French and Creole are widely spoken.
- Population: Around 3 million, with a multi-ethnic society including Indo-Mauritians, Creoles, Sino-Mauritians, and Franco-Mauritians.
- Economy: Known for tourism, textiles, sugarcane cultivation, and financial services, Mauritius is one of Africa’s most developed economies.
- History: Formerly a Dutch, French, and then British colony, Mauritius gained independence in 1968 and became a republic in 1992.
- Strategic importance: Located in the Indian Ocean shipping lanes, it plays a key role in India’s maritime strategy and hosts joint naval exercises.
- India–Mauritius ties: Mauritius is home to a large Indian diaspora (~68% of the population), and India has helped develop infrastructure, defence, and maritime surveillance (including Agalega Islands projects).
- Biodiversity: Known for its coral reefs and unique species — the dodo bird (extinct) was native to Mauritius.
2. Katchatheevu Island
Why in the News?
- During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s April 2025 visit to Colombo, the issue of fisheries in the Palk Straits and the sovereignty of Katchatheevu island resurfaced in bilateral talks with Sri Lanka.
- The island is often portrayed in public debate as the root of the fisheries dispute, but experts emphasize that the real issue lies in unsustainable trawling practices rather than sovereignty.
- The Indian government reiterated that the 1974 India–Sri Lanka Maritime Boundary Treaty settled the sovereignty issue legally, making it binding under international law.
About the Place
- Katchatheevu is a tiny uninhabited islet in the Palk Straits, midway between Rameswaram (India) and Jaffna (Sri Lanka).
- The island covers less than 5 sq. miles and is barren, except for the St. Anthony’s Church, visited by fishermen from both countries during an annual festival.
- In 1974, under the India–Sri Lanka Maritime Boundary Agreement, sovereignty over Katchatheevu was formally ceded to Sri Lanka.
- The decision was based on historical evidence of Sri Lankan administrative control, dating back to Portuguese and Dutch rule, and earlier to the Tamil kings of Jaffna.
- India’s concession aligned with international precedents (e.g., the Minquiers and Ecrehos case, ICJ 1953), where sovereignty was awarded based on effective administrative control.
- The Treaty allows Indian fishermen and pilgrims to continue visiting the church on the island for the annual feast, though it does not permit fishing rights.
- Under international law, boundary treaties are binding (pacta sunt servanda) and cannot be unilaterally repudiated, making the sovereignty issue legally settled.
- The real dispute lies in fishing rights and conservation in the Palk Straits, not sovereignty over Katchatheevu — highlighting the need for joint management of marine resources.
