Social Housing Units Project in Mauritius

• 21 Jan 2022

For Prelims: Location of Mauritius, SAGAR Mission, India-assisted Development Projects in Mauritius.

For Mains: Importance of Mauritius for India and related challenges, India-Mauritius Relations.

Why in News

Recently, the Prime Minister of India and Mauritius jointly inaugurated India-assisted social housing units project in Mauritius virtually as part of India's development support.

Key Points

• About:
  • In May 2016, India had extended a grant of USD 353 mn to Mauritius as Special Economic Package (SEP) to execute five priority projects identified by Mauritius, among others.
  • These were: the Metro Express Project, Supreme Court Building, New ENT Hospital, Supply of Digital Tablets to Primary School Children, and the Social Housing Project.
  • With the inauguration of the Social Housing Project, all the high profile projects under the SEP have been implemented.
• Foundation Stone for Two Other Projects:
  • Construction of a State-of-the-Art Civil Service College:
    • It is being financed through a grant support of USD 4.74 million, under an MoU signed in 2017 during the visit of Prime Minister of Mauritius to India.
    • Once constructed, this will provide a fully equipped and functional facility for the civil servants of Mauritius to undertake various training and skill development programmes.
    • It will further strengthen institutional linkages with India.
      • The Prime Minister of India also acknowledged the importance of the Civil Service College project in nation building and offered to share learnings of Mission Karmayogi.
  • 8 MW Solar PV Farm.
    • It involves the installation of 25,000 PV cells to generate approximately 14 GWh of green energy annually, to electrify approximately 10,000 Mauritian households.
    • It will help mitigate the climate challenges that Mauritius faces through avoidance of 13,000 tons of CO2 emissions.
      • The idea for the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) initiative was put forth by the Indian Prime Minister at the First Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in October 2018.
  • Exchange of Two Key Bilateral Pacts:
    • Agreement for the extension of USD 190 million Line of Credit from India to Mauritius for the Metro Express and other infrastructure projects.
    • MoU on the Implementation of Small Development Projects.

India-Mauritius Relations

• About:
  • Connections between India and Mauritius date back to 1730 and diplomatic relations were established in 1948 before Mauritius became an independent state (1968).
  • India has viewed Mauritius through the prism of the diaspora. This was, perhaps, natural since communities of Indian origin constitute a significant majority in the island.
    • Indian-origin people constitute nearly 70% of the population of Mauritius.
  • It is a significant partner of India in celebrating Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas which is a forum for issues concerning the Indian Diaspora.
• Significance for India:
  • Geo-strategic: India has begun to see the strategic significance of Mauritius to the renewed great power contestation in the Indian Ocean.
    • In 2015, India unveiled its strategic vision for the Indian Ocean called the SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region).
    • In 2015, India and Mauritius signed an agreement that allows India to develop infrastructure in terms of establishing military bases on the Mauritian islands.
  • Geo-Economic:
    • As a “central geographic point” Mauritius holds importance for commerce and connectivity in the Indian Ocean.
    • As a member of the African Union, Indian Ocean Rim Association and the Indian Ocean Commission, Mauritius is a stepping stone to multiple geographies.
    • As a founding-member of the ‘Small Island Developing States’ (SIDS) it has been seen as a significant neighbour.
    • India is Mauritius’s largest trading partner and has been the largest exporter of goods and services to the Indian Ocean island nation since 2007.
  • Regional Hub: As new investments pour into Mauritius from Africa, Mauritius can be the fulcrum for India’s own African economic outreach.
    • India could also contribute to the evolution of Mauritius as a regional centre for technological innovation.
    • Mauritius could also become a valuable place for regional and international maritime scientific research.
  • Pivot of Island Policy: Until now India has tended to deal with the so-called Vanilla islands of the south western Indian Ocean — Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Reunion and Seychelles — on a bilateral basis.
    • If the Indian establishment thinks of them as a collective, it could make Mauritius the pivot of Delhi’s island policy.
    • It can facilitate a number of Indian commercial activities in the south western Indian ocean — as a banking gateway and hub for tourism.
  • Keeping Pace with China: In its “string of pearls” policy, China has built significant relations across the Indian Ocean, from Gwadar (Pakistan) to Hambantota (Sri Lanka) to Kyaukpyu (Myanmar).
    • Therefore, India should help Indian Ocean littoral states like Mauritius, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Seychelles as part of capacity and capability enhancement in strengthening their maritime domain awareness capabilities.
• Important Developments:
  • In 2021, India approved signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between India and Mauritius.
  • India has signed a contract with Mauritius for the export of an Advanced Light Helicopter Mk III. The helicopter will be used by the Mauritius Police Force.

Way Forward

• While India and Mauritius share cultural contiguity dating back to colonial times and a special partnership in recent years, India cannot take its influence in Mauritius for granted and should continue to enhance its engagement with this important island country.
• As India takes an integrated view of its security cooperation in the south western Indian Ocean, Mauritius is the natural node for it. Therefore, it is important to take course-corrections in India’s Neighbourhood First policy.

Source: PIB