MAINS Current Affairs includes 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit & Feminisation of Agriculture

International

1. 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit

Context: The 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit was recently concluded in Kyrgyzstan.

• The summit marked an important milestone as the organisation completed 25 years of the SCO.

Major Highlights

• 25th Anniversary:
  • The summit was held to commemorate 25 years of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
  • The theme was “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.”
• Key Areas of Cooperation:
  • The summit produced outcomes covering:
    • Counter-terrorism;
    • Climate action;
    • Energy cooperation;
    • Disaster management; and
    • Digital cooperation.
  • Bishkek Declaration:
    • Leaders adopted the Bishkek Declaration as the principal outcome document.
    • English was added as an official language of the SCO, alongside Russian and Chinese.
    • Members also agreed to establish a Universal Centre for Countering Security Threats.
  • Combating Drug Trafficking:
    • The SCO decided to strengthen coordination among law-enforcement agencies to tackle drug trafficking.
    • A cooperation programme for combating drug addiction up to 2030 was also agreed upon.
    • These measures are particularly relevant to India’s efforts against cross-border narcotics trafficking and narco-terrorism.
  • Non-Military Character of the Organisation:
    • The summit reiterated the non-military nature of the SCO.
    • Member states emphasised an approach that avoids bloc politics and confrontational methods.
  • Cooperation with Africa:
    • The summit approved closer cooperation between the SCO and the African Union Commission, widening the organisation’s external engagement.
  • Tourism and Cultural Cooperation:
    • Lahore, Pakistan, was designated the SCO’s Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026–27.
  • Next SCO Chairmanship:
    • Pakistan will assume the SCO chairmanship from Kyrgyzstan.
    • It will host the next Council of Heads of State meeting in 2027.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• The organisation evolved from the Shanghai Five, established in 1996 through negotiations concerning border demarcation and demilitarisation between China and four former Soviet republics. Shanghai Five emerged in 1996 from a series of border demarcation and demilitarization talks between4 former USSR republics and China.
• Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistanwere members of the Shanghai Five.
• With the accession of Uzbekistanto the group in 2001, the Shanghai Five was renamed the SCO.
• Objective:To enhance regional cooperation for efforts to curb terrorism, separatism, and extremism in the Central Asian region.
• Members (10): China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus and the four Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
• India became a full member in 2017 and assumed the rotating chairmanship in 2023.
• Member countries contribute around 30% of the global GDP and about 40% of the world’s population.
• Observer status:Afghanistan and Mongolia.
• Language:The SCO’s official languages are Russian and Chinese. English has been added in the 26th summit.
• Structure: The supreme decision-making bodyof the SCO is the Council of Heads of States (CHS) which meets once a year.
• The Organization has 2 standing bodies— the Secretariat in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent.

Significance for India

• Regional Security:
  • The SCO provides India with a platform to address common security concerns, particularly terrorism, separatism and extremism.
  • Through the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), India can cooperate with member states on intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism.
• Balancing China and Pakistan:
  • Despite China and Pakistan being members, the SCO provides India with an institutional platform to articulate its interests and challenge narratives that may be adverse to India.
• Energy Security:
  • Central Asia possesses significant reserves of oil, natural gas and uranium.
  • SCO engagement can therefore support India’s efforts to diversify and strengthen its energy partnerships.
• Economic Cooperation:
  • The organisation provides opportunities for expanding trade, investment and economic engagement, particularly between India and Central Asian economies.
• Central Asian Outreach:
  • The SCO is particularly significant for India because of its strong focus on Central Asia.
  • India seeks deeper engagement with the region but faces geographical constraints in expanding direct connectivity.
  • The SCO therefore provides an important multilateral platform for maintaining and expanding India’s Central Asian engagement.

Challenges

• China–Pakistan Axis:
  • The close strategic relationship between China and Pakistan can complicate India’s position within the organisation and, at times, constrain its influence over regional security discussions.
• Geopolitical Tensions:
  • India’s unresolved disputes and strategic tensions with China and Pakistan can spill into multilateral discussions, limiting the scope for constructive cooperation.
• Security Orientation Over Economic Development:
  • The SCO’s historical emphasis on security issues can overshadow economic and developmental cooperation, even though the latter is important for India’s regional interests.
• Institutional Limitations:
  • The SCO largely operates through consensus-based decision-making.
  • This can slow the adoption and implementation of initiatives where member states have divergent strategic interests.

Conclusion

• The SCO remains an important strategic platform for India to engage with Eurasian powers, strengthen regional stability, advance energy and economic interests, and cooperate on counter-terrorism.
• At the same time, India must navigate the organisation’s internal geopolitical contradictions, particularly those involving China and Pakistan.
• By using the SCO to strengthen its Central Asian outreach, counter-terrorism cooperation, energy security and connectivity, India can pursue its wider regional vision while retaining its strategic autonomy.
• The platform can complement India’s broader approach of “Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)” and provide an additional avenue for engagement with the wider Eurasian region.

Economy

2. Feminisation of Agriculture

Context: Women are increasingly becoming a major component of India’s agricultural workforce, largely because a growing number of men are moving towards non-farm employment.

• This shift has increased women’s responsibilities in farming, although their control over land, credit and productive resources remains limited.

Feminisation of Agriculture

• Feminisation of agriculture refers to the growing participation and increasing responsibility or leadership of women in agricultural activities.
• Women have historically contributed substantially to Indian agriculture as cultivators, agricultural labourers and family workers.
• The recent trend reflects a changing rural labour structure in which women are assuming a greater share of agricultural responsibilities as men move into non-farm occupations.

Present Status and Trends

• Agriculture employs nearly 46% of India’s workforce, while contributing approximately 17–18% of GDP.
• Women constitute nearly 60% of India’s agricultural labour force according to the given source.
  • The increasing movement of men towards non-farm employment has resulted in the feminisation of agriculture.
  • However, greater participation has not necessarily translated into greater land ownership, access to resources or decision-making power for women.
• Regional Trend in Asia:
  • Male migration and industrialisation have also increased women’s importance in agriculture in countries such as Nepal and China.
  • Despite their growing role in farm production, agricultural land ownership often remains concentrated among men.

Key Reasons

• Male Migration:
  • Rural economic difficulties, shrinking farm sizes and fluctuations in agricultural income encourage men to migrate to metropolitan areas in search of non-farm employment.
  • Women consequently take greater responsibility for both farm management and household activities.
• Mechanisation and Menial Tasks:
  • Men are more commonly associated with operating heavy agricultural machinery such as tractors and harvesters.
  • Women continue to be concentrated in labour-intensive and repetitive activities, including manual field operations.
• Economic Compulsion:
  • Financial pressures on rural households compel women to enter agricultural wage labour.
  • Working on neighbouring farms enables women to supplement household income.

Benefits

• Economic Empowerment:
  • Agricultural work and participation in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) can increase women’s income and financial independence.
  • Greater control over earnings can improve women’s ability to contribute to household expenditure and financial decisions.
• Better Family Well-Being:
  • Women’s earnings are more likely to contribute towards children’s education, healthcare and household nutrition, thereby improving family welfare.
• Sustainable Farming:
  • Women often preserve and apply traditional ecological knowledge related to:
    • Natural farming;
    • Seed conservation;
    • Crop diversity; and
    • Integrated management of livestock and crops.
  • Their participation can therefore contribute to more diverse and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.

Challenges Faced by Women Farmers

• Limited Land Rights and Credit Constraints:
  • Social and structural barriers often prevent women from obtaining formal ownership or titles to agricultural land.
  • Since institutional agricultural credit is frequently linked to land ownership or collateral, women may face difficulties accessing formal loans.
  • This can push them towards informal lenders charging high interest rates.
• Lack of Market Linkages:
  • Social restrictions on mobility can limit women’s ability to directly access mandis/APMC markets, negotiate with buyers and obtain remunerative prices.
• Triple Burden of Work:
  • Women frequently face a “triple burden” involving:
    • Agricultural work;
    • Household responsibilities; and
  • This results in time poverty, physical strain and adverse effects on well-being.
• Wage Inequality:
  • Female agricultural labourers may receive lower daily wages than male workers despite performing agricultural work for comparable durations.

Various Initiatives

• The government has introduced several programmes aimed at improving women farmers’ access to credit, technology, horticulture, pulses, infrastructure and direct financial support.
• Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS):
  • Provides short-term Kisan Credit Card loans up to ₹3 lakh at a 7% interest rate.
  • The collateral-free lending limit was increased to ₹2 lakh from January 2025, with efforts to improve women farmers’ access to institutional credit.
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):
  • Supports horticultural production and post-harvest infrastructure.
  • It can provide women farmers with opportunities to diversify their agricultural activities and income sources.
• Dalhan Aatmanirbharta Mission:
  • Has an outlay of ₹11,440 crore for 2025–26 to 2030–31.
  • Supports climate-resilient pulse production, storage and assured procurement.
  • At least 20% of the financing is intended for women farmers.
• PM-KISAN:
  • Provides ₹6,000 annually through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to eligible landholding farmer households.
  • Women beneficiaries account for more than 25% of total beneficiaries, according to the given source.
• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF):
  • Promotes agricultural infrastructure, particularly post-harvest facilities, storage and logistics.
  • Better infrastructure can help farmers reduce post-harvest losses, store produce and obtain better prices.
  • Women farmers receive special attention under the initiative.
• Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) Scheme:
  • Operates under the Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM).
  • Supports development and upgradation of rural godowns and warehouses.
  • Women farmers, SC/ST promoters, FPOs and beneficiaries in North-Eastern and hilly regions receive a 33% subsidy, while farmers in plain areas receive 25% subsidy, as stated in the source.
• Namo Drone Didi Scheme:
  • Aims to provide 15,000 drones to women SHGs during 2023–24 to 2025–26.
  • The scheme has an outlay of ₹1,261 crore.
  • Provides 80% financial assistance up to ₹8 lakh, along with training for farmers and drone pilots/assistants.
  • It seeks to enable women SHGs to provide agricultural drone services and create additional employment opportunities.
• Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM):
  • Facilitates women’s access to agricultural technology through support for Custom Hiring Centres.
  • Eligible women farmers can receive 50% assistance up to ₹5 lakh for purchasing drones, according to the given source.
• National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM):
  • Promotes scientific beekeeping through:
    • Training;
    • Skill development; and
    • Capacity building.
  • It can provide women with additional livelihood opportunities and income from honey and other bee products.
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM):
  • Promotes women’s economic empowerment through Self-Help Groups.
  • Facilitates access to formal finance, self-employment and diversified agricultural livelihoods.

Conclusion

• The feminisation of agriculture represents a major transformation in India’s rural economy. Women are increasingly becoming central to agricultural production while continuing to face disadvantages in land ownership, income, institutional recognition and decision-making.
• The objective should be to transform women from primarily agricultural labourers into independent farmers, resource owners and decision-makers.
• This requires:
  • Joint land titling and stronger property rights;
  • Accessible and collateral-free institutional credit;
  • Gender-sensitive agricultural extension services;
  • Entrepreneurship and market support;
  • Women-friendly, drudgery-reducing farm machinery;
  • Strong collective institutions; and
  • Adequate social protection.
• If these measures are implemented effectively, the feminisation of agriculture can shift from being merely a reflection of rural economic distress to an opportunity for women’s empowerment, inclusive agricultural growth, food security and sustainable rural development.

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