Context
- An Indian Army contingent will participate in Seychelles’ 50th National Day celebrations, marking the Golden Jubilee of the island nation’s independence.
- The Prime Minister of India will attend the event as the Guest of Honour, highlighting strong India–Seychelles ties.
Key Highlights
- A 32-member Indian Army contingent from the Assam Regiment will participate in the ceremonial parade.
- An Indian Navy marching contingent and warship will also take part.
- The visit aims to strengthen defence cooperation, maritime security, and people-to-people ties in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
India–Seychelles Relations
- Strategic Importance: Seychelles is a key maritime partner in the Western Indian Ocean.
- Areas of Cooperation:
- Maritime security
- Defence training and joint exercises
- Capacity building
- Blue Economy
- Disaster management
- India supports Seychelles through patrol vessels, aircraft, coastal surveillance radar systems, and defence assistance.
About Seychelles
- Location: Western Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar.
- Capital: Victoria.
- Archipelago: 115 islands.
- eighbouring Water Body: Indian Ocean.
- Member of: Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), African Union (AU), Commonwealth.
With reference to Seychelles, consider the following statements:
1. It is an archipelago in the Western Indian Ocean.
2. It lies northeast of Madagascar.
3. Its capital is Victoria.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
The correct answer is D. 1, 2 and 3.
Here is a quick breakdown of why all the statements are correct:
• Statement 1 is correct: Seychelles is an island nation consisting of an archipelago of 115 islands located in the Western Indian Ocean.
• Statement 2 is correct: Geographically, it lies about 1,500 kilometers east of mainland Southeast Africa and sits directly northeast of Madagascar.
• Statement 3 is correct: Victoria is the capital and largest city of Seychelles, located on the main island of Mahé.