Revision summary
The Kachchatheevu island issue stems from the 1974 and 1976 Indo-Sri Lankan maritime boundary agreements which ceded the islet to Colombo. While legally settled, it persists as a live domestic political debate involving Tamil Nadu's regional parties and New Delhi. Livelihood concerns of Indian fishermen facing Sri Lankan naval action complicate bilateral ties. Strategic anxieties regarding regional security further elevate the issue in contemporary geopolitics. Resolving it requires a fine balance between cooperative maritime diplomacy and safeguarding domestic fisherfolk interests.
Model answer
Copper italics in this answer — like this — are the key facts. Each one is unpacked in the Facts & figures rail.
Introduction
The Kachchatheevu island dispute represents a complex intersection of historical maritime agreements, federal-state dynamics in India, and transnational livelihood security. Ceded to Sri Lanka via bilateral accords in the 1970s, the uninhabited islet continues to evoke strong political and humanitarian resonance.
Body
Historical Evolution and Legal Basis
Kachchatheevu was historically used by both Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen for drying nets, leading to competing traditional claims. The 1974 Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Boundary Agreement recognized Sri Lanka's sovereignty over the island, followed by the 1976 agreement which restricted fishing rights in adjacent waters.
- Bilateral Treaties: The 1974 and 1976 agreements drew the international maritime boundary line (IMBL) north of Kachchatheevu, settling colonial-era ambiguity.
- Legal Standing: The Union government maintains that the island was ceded following constitutional procedures, though the legal validity remains contested by regional political actors in domestic forums.
Domestic Political Resonance
The issue occupies a central space in Tamil Nadu's political discourse, frequently resurfacing during electoral cycles and straining cooperative federalism.
- Federal Friction: State-level political parties consistently pressure the Union government to reclaim the island or renegotiate fishing rights.
- Constitutional Debate: The debate often highlights the tensions between center-led foreign policy prerogatives and state-level security interests.
Livelihood and Maritime Security Dilemmas
The core contemporary friction stems from the enforcement of the IMBL by the Sri Lankan Navy against Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu.
- Fishermen Interventions: Traditional fishing grounds overlap with restricted zones, leading to frequent arrests, seizure of trawlers, and humanitarian crises.
- Trawling Concerns: Ecological degradation in the Palk Bay due to bottom trawling by Indian vessels adds a distinct environmental dimension to the security conflict.
Flow diagram
flowchart TD A[Historical Use] -->|1974-76 Accords| B[Sovereignty to SL] B --> C[IMBL Demarcation] C --> D[Fishermen Livelihood Conflict] D --> E[Tamil Nadu Political Pressure] E --> F[Bilateral Diplomatic Dialogue]
Conclusion
Kachchatheevu illustrates the limits of purely legalistic boundary settlements in managing deeply embedded transnational communities. Moving forward, India and Sri Lanka must leverage institutional mechanisms like the Joint Working Group on Fisheries to prioritize humanitarian concerns, regulate sustainable fishing, and insulate bilateral ties from domestic political friction.
Quick related
Students also ask
-
Critically evaluate India-Russia relations in the 21st century. How have both the countries responded to America meddling in their relations in the recent times?
Next question on this syllabus topic (2026 · Q8(a)). View answer →
-
Why is the Kachchatheevu island disputed between India and Sri Lanka?
The dispute arises from the 1974 and 1976 maritime boundary agreements that ceded the islet to Sri Lanka, conflicting with traditional fishing rights and historical claims of Indian fisherfolk.
-
What role does Tamil Nadu play in the Kachchatheevu issue?
Tamil Nadu's political parties and fishermen associations view the ceding of Kachchatheevu as detrimental to their traditional livelihoods and frequently urge the Union government to reclaim the island.
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.
-
2022 · Q5(a) · PSIR GS 2 · 10 marks
Peaceful co-existence remains the cornerstone of India's foreign policy. Comment.
More from this topic
Q8(a) · UPSC Mains 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 20 marks · Solution
Critically evaluate India-Russia relations in the 21st century. How have both the countries responded to America meddling in their relations in the recent times?
India and the Global South
- India and Russia share a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" driven by defense, energy, and multipolar goals, moving beyond Cold War ties. - Core cooperation rests on defense production (BrahMos), discounted oil imports pushing trade past $50 billion, and joint platforms like BRICS and SCO. - Structural challenges include Russia's heavy reliance on China post-2022, a major trade deficit favoring Moscow, and differing views on the Indo-Pacific. - Both capitals counter Western pressure (like CAATSA and SWIFT restrictions) by asserting strategic autonomy and bypassing dollar-based payment systems. - Moscow implicitly tolerates India's QUAD participation, while New Delhi maintains independent foreign policy choices despite U.S. pressure. - The relationship survives on pragmatic adaptation rather than sentiment, remaining a vital pillar of India's multi-aligned foreign policy framework.
Q6(b) · UPSC Mains 2026 · PSIR GS 2 · 15 marks · Solution
Critically evaluate the important factors of India-Maldives relations on the eve of sixty years of diplomatic ties between the two countries
India and the Global South
• India and the Maldives are marking 60 years of diplomatic ties anchored in
Q4(a) · UPSC Mains 2025 · PSIR GS 2 · 20 marks · Solution
Latin America has made moderate success in countering US-led global economic order by framing various organizations emphasizing regional sovereignty, economic integration and alternative development. Discuss
India and the Global South
Latin America answered U.S. economic primacy with Mercosur, ALBA, UNASUR, CELAC, Banco del Sur and Brazil’s BRICS role. The intellectual root is ECLAC, Prebisch and dependency: unequal exchange and the need for regional policy space. Success is moderate: some intra-trade, a diplomacy without Washington in CELAC, and diversified China markets. The dollar, IMF programmes and U.S. financial cycles still dominate crises. Cyclical politics and a reluctant Brazilian paymaster explain the ceiling.