Maldives (India's Neighbours)

📌 Background & Key Features

Strategic stakes: Maldives sits astride key Indian Ocean sea lanes; India has historically been the first responder in crises (1988 Operation Cactus coup intervention, Vaccine Maitri priority recipient).
2023-24 rupture: President Muizzu’s "India Out" campaign, derogatory remarks by Maldivian ministers about PM Modi, and the demand for withdrawal of Indian military personnel severely strained ties.
China factor: Muizzu’s initial tilt toward Beijing (closer BRI engagement) was widely read as the geopolitical backdrop to the 2024 diplomatic row.

2024 low point	“India Out” campaign under President Mohamed Muizzu; Indian troops withdrawn
2025 recovery	PM Modi’s July 2025 Male visit; US$565 million credit line + FTA talks initiated
India’s standing	Maldives’s largest trade partner

Recovery through 2025: India successfully overcame the anti-India campaign; Indian military presence was withdrawn as demanded, but PM Modi’s July 2025 visit to Male restored the strategic partnership, with a $565 million credit line and the launch of free-trade negotiations.
India remains the Maldives’ largest trading partner despite the 2024 political chill, underscoring the resilience of economic interdependence even through diplomatic strain.

2024 low point: “India Out” campaign under President Mohamed Muizzu; Indian troops withdrawn
2025 recovery: PM Modi’s July 2025 Male visit; US$565 million credit line + FTA talks initiated
India’s standing: Maldives’s largest trade partner

Year	Question	Marks
2025 (Practice,	Discuss the political developments in the Maldives in the last two years. Should they be a cause of concern for India? based on PSIR pattern)	10