Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination (Topic: Agalega Island)

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Agalega Island

The Island of Agalega located in the Indian Ocean is being rapidly transformed into a strategic outpost by the Indian Army. The island has been leased by Mauritius to the Indian Army.

Agalega Island is an outlying island of Mauritius located in the Indian Ocean, about 1,000 kilometers (620 mi) north of Mauritius.
Mauritius has leased the Indian Army to develop Agalega Island as a strategic outpost.

India received the Island of Agalega from Mauritius in 2015 to develop it as an air and naval base to monitor the southwestern Indian Ocean.
India is developing its military base here, similar to other countries like UK-US military base Diego Garcia.
A military base at Agalega Island will strengthen India's hold in the Indian Ocean region.
With the increasing hold of neighboring country China in the Indian Ocean, there are increasing challenges for India, so it can become a major strategic advantage for India.
India is pursuing development activities in the island at a very fast pace. In this military base to be built in Mauritius, India can deploy its fleet of naval P-8I aircraft through which Chinese activities can be controlled in the southwestern Indian Ocean.
From here India can operate joint patrolling with France (Reunion Island).
This military base will also facilitate maritime patrols on the Mozambique Channel to India, which is a popular route for large commercial vessels, especially oil tankers.
This military base will enable the Indian Navy to inspect shipping routes around southern Africa, these routes are responsible for a significant portion of China's energy imports.
In addition, the island will provide a useful location for communications and electronic intelligence facilities.
Agalega military base as a whole will strengthen India's presence in the southwestern Indian Ocean and shape the vision of the Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

SAGAR is India’s policy or doctrine of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region, launched in 2015.
Under the SAGAR vision, India is also trying to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region.
One of the objectives of this policy is to advance the blue economy along with the small and insular countries of the Indian Ocean.

Mauritius is an island country in the African continent located in the Indian Ocean and is also a member of the African Union.
It has a population of about 12.8 lakhs of which about 48% people are followers of Hindu religion.
The capital of Mauritius is Port Louis and the currency here is the Mauritius Rupee.