Content
- MILAN 2026 – Multilateral Maritime Diplomacy and Strategic Significance
- Restoring Indigenous Fish Stocks in River Ganga through Scientific River Ranching
MILAN 2026 – Multilateral Maritime Diplomacy and Strategic Significance
Why is in News ?
- Exercise MILAN 2026 concluded on 25 February 2026 with a high-profile closing ceremony onboard INS Vikrant, marking India’s largest multilateral naval engagement in the Bay of Bengal.
- The exercise was conducted off the coast of Visakhapatnam, with participation of 42 ships and submarines, 29 aircraft, including 18 foreign warships, reflecting unprecedented scale and expanding Indo-Pacific convergence.
- Maritime Patrol Aircraft from France, Germany and USA participated, signalling deeper operational engagement between India and extra-regional powers within the framework of MAHASAGAR maritime vision.
Relevance
- GS II – International Relations
- India and its neighbourhood; Indo-Pacific strategy.
- Bilateral, regional and multilateral groupings.
- India as Net Security Provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Maritime diplomacy under SAGAR and MAHASAGAR.
- GS III – Internal Security
- Maritime security challenges (piracy, grey-zone threats, submarine proliferation).
- Coastal security and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
- Role of defence forces in safeguarding SLOCs.
Static Background
Evolution and Strategic Context
- Initiated in 1995 at Port Blair, MILAN began as a modest biennial gathering of regional navies and evolved into a flagship multilateral platform showcasing India’s maritime leadership in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- The Indian Ocean carries nearly 80% of global seaborne oil trade and about 40% of global container traffic, making maritime stability central to global energy security and international supply chains.
- India conducts approximately 95% of its trade by volume through sea routes, while importing nearly 85% of crude oil, underscoring strategic dependence on secure Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs).
Key Features of Milan 2026
Harbour Phase
- The Harbour Phase included Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE), the International Maritime Seminar, and MOYO interactions, strengthening doctrinal alignment, professional networking, and confidence-building among participating navies.
- Cross-deck visits, cultural exchanges and sports engagements complemented operational discussions, reinforcing India’s use of naval diplomacy as soft power instrument within the broader Indo-Pacific outreach strategy.
Sea Phase
- The Sea Phase involved high-intensity drills in Integrated Air Defence, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Maritime Interdiction Operations, and coordinated surface strikes, validating interoperability across diverse naval platforms.
- Live firings, anti-air exercises and cross-deck flying operations enhanced real-time coordination, mission planning capability and collective readiness for contingencies including maritime security threats and HADR operations.
Overview
I. Strategic & Security Dimension
- MILAN reinforces India’s aspiration to act as a Net Security Provider in the Indian Ocean Region, balancing expanding China’s PLAN deployments while promoting cooperative maritime security without formal alliance structures.
- Enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through shared surveillance practices improves detection of piracy, trafficking and grey-zone threats, strengthening deterrence and rapid response mechanisms in the Bay of Bengal.
- Interoperability drills improve communication compatibility, logistics at sea and coordinated combat capability, critical during regional crises such as cyclones, natural disasters and non-traditional maritime security challenges.
II. Governance & Diplomatic Dimension
- MILAN operationalises India’s maritime doctrines including SAGAR and MAHASAGAR, transforming strategic vision into structured engagement mechanisms that build trust among regional and extra-regional naval powers.
- By integrating European and Indo-Pacific navies, the exercise reflects India’s strategy of inclusive multilateralism, avoiding bloc politics while reinforcing a rules-based maritime order anchored in UNCLOS principles.
III. Economic Dimension
- Securing Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) ensures uninterrupted energy flows and trade, stabilising India’s external sector and reinforcing investor confidence in the Indo-Pacific maritime corridor.
- Maritime security cooperation strengthens India’s Blue Economy ambitions, including offshore energy exploration, fisheries governance and sustainable marine resource utilisation aligned with long-term developmental priorities.
IV. Technological & Defence Modernisation
- Conducting the closing ceremony onboard INS Vikrant, commissioned in 2022, symbolises India’s indigenous aircraft carrier capability and progress under Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence manufacturing.
- Advanced ASW and integrated air defence drills reflect adaptation to emerging threats such as submarine proliferation and aerial surveillance challenges in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific maritime theatre.
Challenges
- India currently operates one aircraft carrier, with defence expenditure hovering around ~2% of GDP, limiting rapid maritime capacity expansion amid intensifying regional competition.
- Expanding Chinese naval footprint, including submarine deployments and overseas bases, increases strategic pressure in the IOR, necessitating sustained operational readiness and alliance diversification.
- Institutional gaps in maritime policymaking and limited civilian awareness constrain comprehensive integration of naval strategy with economic planning and coastal infrastructure development.
Way Forward
- Fast-track decision on IAC-2, strengthen Andaman & Nicobar Command, and deepen integration of maritime strategy within national security architecture to consolidate India’s Indo-Pacific leadership role.
- Expand Information Fusion Centre – IOR partnerships, leverage AI-enabled maritime surveillance and enhance undersea domain awareness to counter emerging asymmetric and grey-zone threats.
- Institutionalise MILAN as a premier annual maritime forum, synchronising it with ASEAN-led mechanisms to reinforce cooperative security and stable multipolar maritime governance.
Prelims Pointers
- MILAN started in 1995 at Port Blair.
- MILAN 2026 saw participation of 42 ships, 29 aircraft, 18 foreign warships.
- INS Vikrant commissioned in 2022.
- Exercise conducted in Harbour Phase and Sea Phase format.
- MAHASAGAR is a maritime security vision, not a treaty or organisation.
Practice Question
- Exercise MILAN 2026 reflects India’s maritime assertiveness and commitment to a rules-based Indo-Pacific order. Analyse its strategic and economic significance.(250 Words)
Restoring Indigenous Fish Stocks in River Ganga through Scientific River Ranching
Why in news?
- Under the Namami Gange Programme, 205.5 lakh indigenous fish seeds were released through 169 river ranching programmes (2017–2025) by ICAR–Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, marking a decade of scientific riverine restoration.
- India became the world’s top inland capture fisheries producer (1.89 million tonnes annually), alongside first-ever scientific estimation of riverine catches, including 15,134 tonnes (Mahanadi) and 18,902 tonnes (Krishna).
Relevance
- GS Paper III – Environment & Biodiversity
- Riverine ecosystem restoration.
- Biodiversity conservation and genetic integrity.
- SDG 14 and sustainable fisheries governance.
Conceptual foundation
What are riverine fisheries?
- Riverine fisheries refer to capture fisheries in flowing freshwater ecosystems, dependent on natural recruitment, seasonal flooding cycles, habitat connectivity and ecological flow regimes rather than artificial feed-based production systems.
- They are open-access common property resources, making regulation difficult and exposing stocks to overfishing, pollution stress and habitat fragmentation from dams and embankments.
What is river ranching?
- River ranching is a scientific stock enhancement strategy involving release of hatchery-reared native fish fingerlings into natural rivers to rebuild depleted populations while preserving ecological balance and genetic purity.
- It differs from aquaculture because fish are not harvested in captivity; instead, ranching strengthens natural recruitment, spawning biomass and long-term sustainability of wild fisheries.
- Effective ranching requires wild broodstock collection, genetic screening, size-appropriate stocking (10–15 cm; 100–120 g) and post-release monitoring to prevent maladaptation or ecological imbalance.
Ecological background of the Ganga basin
- The Ganges supports high freshwater biodiversity, including migratory and endemic fish species, and sustains millions of small-scale fishing households across five major riparian states.
- Decline in native stocks resulted from pollution load, altered environmental flows, sediment changes, overfishing and habitat fragmentation, especially downstream of barrages such as Farakka.
Scale and design of intervention
- Between 2017 and 2025, 205.5 lakh indigenous seeds were released across ecologically sensitive stretches, prioritising native species restoration and genetic integrity safeguards.
- Of 169 interventions, distribution was West Bengal (68%), Bihar (17%), Uttar Pradesh (9%), Jharkhand (5%), Uttarakhand (1%), reflecting ecological vulnerability and livelihood dependence.
- Fingerlings were reared under controlled hatchery conditions, enhancing survival rates and ensuring adaptation before release into natural riverine habitats.
Species conservation and genetic innovation
- Target species included Indian Major Carps (IMCs), Mahseer, native catfishes, Chitala and freshwater scampi, addressing both ecological keystone roles and commercial importance.
- In 2025, artificial breeding of hilsa using cryopreserved milt enabled release of 3.82 lakh adults upstream of Farakka, with 54.91 lakh fertilised eggs, 8.06 lakh spawn and 6031 tagged fish.
Measurable ecological and economic gains
- Landings of Indian Major Carps increased significantly, with Prayagraj recording 24.7% growth and Varanasi 41% growth, indicating positive recruitment and survival outcomes.
- Reservoir productivity increased from 20 to 150 kg/ha/year, while wetland productivity rose from 600 to 1,600 kg/ha/year, culminating in National Reservoir Fisheries Management Policy Guidelines (2025).
- Inland capture fisheries production reached 1.89 million tonnes annually, strengthening rural livelihoods and protein security.
Governance and policy dimension
- River ranching operates within the broader framework of the Namami Gange Programme, integrating ecological restoration with livelihood enhancement and pollution abatement measures.
- The Indian Inland Fisheries Informatics (INNF) platform integrates Web-GIS, CPCB water-quality data and machine learning tools to map aquatic suitability zones and hypoxic risk areas.
- Sustainable management protocols were developed for estuaries including Hooghly-Matlah, Rushikulya, Mandovi-Zuari and Netravathi-Gurupur, strengthening ecosystem-based fisheries governance.
Environmental and climate dimension
- Emphasis on wild broodstock sourcing and genetic integrity preservation prevents invasive risks and gene dilution associated with indiscriminate hatchery stocking.
- Restoration of trophic balance enhances resilience against climate variability, reduced flows and temperature-induced stress, supporting long-term ecological stability of the basin.
Social and livelihood dimension
- Riverine fisheries provide income to marginalised communities lacking alternative assets; scientific ranching enhances stock availability without displacing traditional fishing practices.
- Public participation during ranching events improved awareness, stakeholder engagement and acceptance of sustainable fishing norms.
Advanced analytical perspective
- Ranching represents a shift from production-centric fisheries policy to ecosystem-based adaptive management, aligning with SDG 14 and biodiversity conservation commitments.
- However, stocking without parallel fishing regulation, environmental flow enforcement and pollution control risks short-term gains without structural sustainability.
- Genetic monitoring and tagging (e.g., 6031 hilsa tagged) reflect movement toward evidence-driven fisheries governance, reducing uncertainty in open-water stock management.
Challenges
- Open-access exploitation and illegal gears undermine stock enhancement gains in absence of strong co-management frameworks and seasonal fishing bans.
- Persistent industrial effluents, urban sewage and hydrological alterations continue to constrain spawning success and habitat connectivity.
Way forward
- Institutionalise community-based co-management models, strengthen enforcement of fishing regulations and integrate ranching with ecological flow restoration strategies.
- Expand telemetry tagging, AI-based stock assessment and real-time water-quality analytics under INNF, enabling adaptive decision-making and climate-resilient fisheries governance.
- Align river ranching with basin-wide ecological restoration, ensuring that biodiversity conservation and livelihood security progress simultaneously.
Prelims pointers
- 205.5 lakh seeds released (2017–2025) under Namami Gange.
- 169 river ranching interventions conducted.
- Inland capture fisheries production: 1.89 million tonnes annually.
- Hilsa restoration involved 3.82 lakh adults and 6031 tagged fish.
- Reservoir productivity rose from 20 to 150 kg/ha/year.
Practice Question
- Scientific river ranching under the Namami Gange Programme illustrates the integration of ecological restoration with livelihood security. Critically examine.(250 Words)
