Previous Year Question
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in which India, was inducted as a full member was held at
Ufa
Dushanbe
Tashkent
Astana
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
India became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at the Summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan, in June 2017. Pakistan was also admitted as a full member at the same Summit.
The SCO was established on 15 June 2001. Its founding members included China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
India had earlier received Observer Status at the 2005 Astana Summit. Subsequently, at the 2015 Ufa Summit, the process for admitting India and Pakistan as full members was initiated.
At the 2016 Tashkent Summit, India signed the Memorandum of Obligations required for membership and, after completing the necessary process, became a full member at the 2017 Astana Summit.
The sequence can therefore be remembered as—
2005 Astana → Observer Status
2015 Ufa → Full membership process approved
2016 Tashkent → Memorandum of Obligations
2017 Astana → Full Member
Current Status
According to the latest official Indian briefing, the SCO now has 10 full members. Iran became a full member in 2023 and Belarus in 2024. Thus, India continues to be a full member of the SCO.