Attack in Red Sea and Impact on Indian energy security

02 Jan Attack in Red Sea and Impact on Indian energy security

UPSC MAINS SYALLBUS G3 PAPER : TOPIC – ENERGY ( INFRASTRUCTURE)

Why in news?

Yemen backed Houthi rebel have targeted many vessel in the red sea causing concern for India as it is a major importer of crude oil from Russia and a significant player in the export of petroleum products to Europe , both of which require transportation through Suez canal.

Why attacks are happening ?

Yemen’s backed Houthi is have been targeting vessels in the Red sea since November to show their support for the Hamas in the war against Israel.

Importance of red sea trade route 

• Historical significance – red sea has been one of the most important route since ages that connected many civilizations and continents i.e Asia , Africa, Europe.
• Economic significance – suez canal since its inception in 1869 has been the busiest trade route that reduced distance between europe and asia by 7000km.
• Geopolitical significance -because of its economic importance and and strategic location ( narrow width of suez canal) it has also become geopolitically significant.

Importance of Red sea for India 

• India is increasingly becoming a significant player in the petroleum products export market.
• In may 2023,india became Europe’s largest supplier of refined fuel.
• In FY23-FY24 , the Netherland brought about $19300 million worth of refined fuel from India.
• These northbound oil shipments reach via the suez canal.
• Red sea is the part of Indian ocean region that is also the backyard of India , security concerns in the region affects the sovereignty of Indian territorial water to some extent.

Measures taken by India

1. The Indian Navy has substantially enhanced maritime surveillance efforts in the central/north Arabian Sea and augmented force levels.

2. Task Groups comprising destroyers and frigates have been deployed to undertake maritime security operations and render assistance to merchant vessels in case of any incident

3. Aerial surveillance by long-range maritime patrol aircraft and RPAs remotely piloted aircraft has been enhanced to have complete maritime domain awareness.

4. Towards effective surveillance in economic exclusive zone , the Indian Navy is operating in close coordination with the Indian Coast Guard.

5. The Indian navy is monitoring the overall situation in coordination with national maritime agencies.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Q- Which countries are located on either side of Bab el Mandeb?

a. Djibouti

b. Yemen

c. Egypt

d. Jordan

how many of the following statements are correct?

(A)only one

(B)only two

(C)only three

(D) all four

Answer – b  Djibouti and Yemen

Mains Question

Question – In the light of recent attack by the  Houthis on the vessels in the red sea , what challenges Indian energy sector can face ? And What will be the further repercussions of these event?

SOURCES – The hindu and livemint

Anuj Yadav

content developer, written UPSC MAINS once , UGC net qualified in Political science twice , enthusiast writer.