India-US Homeland Security Dialogue

In News

• Top officials of India, US meet for home security dialogue

Key Points

• The meeting was held recently in virtual mode.
• It was co-chaired by the Home Secretary, Government of India, and Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy and Plans, Department of Homeland Security, Government of USA.

Minutes of the Meeting

• Purpose:
  • During the meeting, both sides reviewed the ongoing cooperation.
• Sub Groups:
  • There are six sub-groups formed under the Indo-US homeland security dialogue which cover the areas of:
    • Illicit finance, financial fraud and counterfeiting.
    • Cyber information.
    • Megacity policing and sharing of information among federal, state and local partners.
    • Global supply chain, transportation, port, border and maritime security.
    • Capacity building.
    • Technology upgradation.
• Conclusion of the meeting:
  • The meeting concluded with both sides expressing satisfaction with the ongoing partnership and agreeing to deepen bilateral engagement and collaboration in all areas of mutual concern.

U.S.-India Homeland Security Dialogue

• India and the U.S. have agreed to re-establish the U.S.- India Homeland Security Dialogue, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in March 2021, following a discussion between India’s Ambassador to the United States and Secretary of Homeland Security.
• The first Homeland Security Dialogue between both countries was held in 2011. 
• The second dialogue was held in 2021.

India- US Relations

• Defence and Security: 
  • India has signed all 4 foundational agreements with the USA including.
  • General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA)
  • Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) 
  • Communications, Compatibility and Security Arrangement (COMCASA)
  • Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo- Spatial Cooperation (BECA)
  • A ‘2+2’ foreign and defence ministers dialogue has been started.
  • Malabar Exercise and QUAD
• Economy:
  • Indian Petronet, an LNG company, will invest in American gas company Tellurian.
  • India is buying defence equipment worth $3-billion, including American helicopters (MH-60 Romeo helicopters) this year itself.
  • India has a trade surplus with the USA.
• Energy Security:
  • A bilateral Strategic Energy Partnership was launched in April 2018.
  • Under this India has started importing crude and LNG from the US.
  • Now, the US is India’s sixth-largest source of crude oil imports and hydrocarbons.
• Renewable Energy:
  • A commercial agreement for Westinghouse to build six nuclear reactors in Andhra Pradesh.
• Geostrategic:
  • China’s hegemony in the South China Sea as well as the Belt and Road Initiative is creating trouble for both India and USA.
• Anti Terror Cooperation:
  • Designation of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 after Pulwama Attack needed support from the US.
  • Further placing Pakistan in the FATF grey list is also a mutual decision.
• Pivot to Asia Policy of USA:
  • The US under its Pivot to Asia policy views India as an ideal balancer to check the aggressive rise of China.
  • Therefore, the US has formulated the concept of Indo-Pacific to counter China in the South China Sea and the Indian ocean.
  • The US has designated India as an integral part of the Indo-pacific narrative by the conception of Quad.
  • Points of Divergence

Challenges

• Trade Deal: 
  • The USA is worried about the trade deficit it has with India.
  • Further, India’s benefits under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) scheme were terminated by Trump in 2019.
  • The GSP provides preferential, duty-free access for over $6 billion worth of products exported from developing countries to the US.
• Different cases/ disagreements at WTO:
  • India’s domestic component clause was a bone of contention.
  • Similarly there is lack of consensus over the IPR regime and evergreening of patents.
  • Peace Clause and Public Procurement Policy
• Digital Data:
  • The US, Japan, etc support Free Flow of Data with Trust whereas India has raised red flags on it.
• Agriculture:
  • The US has long demanded greater access to American agriculture and dairy products. 
  • For India, protecting its domestic agriculture and dairy interests was a major reason to walk out of the RCEP agreement.
• US-Pakistan Equation: 
  • The US has often shown a soft corner for Pakistan due to dynamic equations in Afghanistan. 
• CAATSA:
  • The USA, although has given special waivers, still time to time threatens to impose CAATSA on India over trade with Iran and Russia.
  • Both are very strategic for countering China and Pakistan.

Conclusion

• Defence cooperation has been a critical element of Indo-US friendship as this has both strategic and economic shared interests, based on the democratic ideology of both countries. 

Source: IE