Consider the following in respect of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS):

1. Inaugural IONS was held in India in 2015 under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy.
2. IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect, and statement 2 is correct

• The IONS is a regional forum of Indian Ocean littoral states, launched by India in 2008.
• It is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Objective: To generate a flow of information between navies that would lead to common understanding and possibly cooperative solutions to future maritime problems and challenges.
• Under the IONS Charter of Business adopted in 2014, the forum has working groups on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Information Security and Interoperability (IS&I), and Maritime security (anti-piracy).
• 25 Member States, geographically divided into 4 subregions:
  • South Asian Littorals: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and the U.K.
  • West Asian Littorals: Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE.
  • East African Littorals: France, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania.
  • South-East Asian and Australian Littorals: Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor Leste.
• 9 Observer countries: China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Korea (latest addition).
• The Chair rotates every 2 years.
• In 2018, IONS conducted its first-ever operational exercise called ‘IMMSAREX’, under the IONS Charter.

Answer: (b) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Easy