G20 Summit South Africa 2025
Context
G-20 Summit held in South Africa (Johannesburg) for the first time.
Marked by a U.S. boycott; 2026 G20 Doral summit 21st G20 Summit hosted by U.S
India’s key proposals at G-20
1. Rethinking global growth parameters
PM Modi argued that current global growth models have:
Left large sections deprived of resources.
Led to over-exploitation of nature.
Called for a new framework aligned with:
Sustainability
Equity
Environmental balance
2. New initiatives on health and skills
G-20 Global Health Emergency Response Team proposed.
G-20 Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative:
Targets 1 million youth across African continent.
Enhances skill development and employability.
3. G-20 Initiative on Countering Drug/Terror Networks
Focus on drug trafficking, especially spread of lethal drugs like fentanyl.
Drug trafficking seen as:
Public health challenge
Social & economic threat
Channel for terror financing
4. Global Traditional Knowledge Repository
India proposed creation of a Global Repository of Traditional Knowledge.
Aim: promote sustainable and eco-balanced practices.
Supports India’s stance on international recognition of AYUSH & traditional knowledge.
Bilateral and trilateral initiatives
1. Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership (ACITI)
Aimed at:
AI cooperation
Clean energy technologies
Critical and emerging tech
Resilient supply chains
Artificial intelligence
Encourages cooperation among democratic partners across continents.
2. Other bilaterals held with:
UK, France, Brazil, Italy, Angola, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam.
India’s philosophical framing
Integral Humanism
PM referenced Integral Humanism (coined by Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, 1965).
Positioned as:
A balanced approach to human, social, economic, and environmental needs.
Counter to “Western” ideologies such as individualism, secularism, communism.
Climate & development outcomes
G-20 Declaration on climate change adopted
Focus on:
Equitable climate action
Countering trade-related climate restrictions
Strengthening global supply chains
India’s emphasis
Africa hosting G-20 for the first time → opportunity to redefine global parameters of development.
Stress on just, inclusive, and people-centric growth.
Additional proposals
G-20 Open Satellite Data Partnership
For agriculture, fishing, disaster relief, climate adaptation.
G-20 Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative
Focus on recycling, reuse, sustainable mining.
Geopolitical dimensions
U.S. absence
U.S. boycott due to domestic political crisis.
Empty chair symbolically handed over for G-20 presidency.
India’s positioning
Continues active leadership in:
South-South cooperation
Reforming global governance
Strategic technology coalitions
Prelims Practice MCQs
Q. Consider the following statements:
India proposed the creation of a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository at the G-20 Summit.
The initiative aims primarily at promoting cross-border pharmaceutical R&D based on synthetic chemistry.
The repository is intended to promote sustainable and eco-balanced ways of life.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct – PM Modi proposed a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository at the G-20.
Statement 2 is incorrect – Its aim is to promote traditional knowledge and sustainable living, not synthetic-chemistry-based pharmaceutical R&D.
Statement 3 is correct – It aims to transmit “sustainable and eco-balanced ways of life” to future generations.
Q. The G-20 Initiative on Countering Drug/Terror Networks, proposed by India, focuses on which of the following?
The rise of lethal synthetic drugs like fentanyl
The link between drug trafficking and terror financing
Establishment of a global military task force under UNODC
Select the correct answer:
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: A
Explanation:
Points 1 and 2 are correct – PM Modi highlighted fentanyl and drug-terror financing linkages.
Point 3 is incorrect – No such UNODC military task force was proposed.
Q. The Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership (ACITI), announced at the G-20 Summit, aims to strengthen cooperation in:
Artificial intelligence
Resilient supply chains
Clean energy
Counter-piracy operations in the Indo-Pacific
Select the correct answer using the code below:
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 1 and 4 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: A
Explanation:
ACITI covers AI, clean energy, emerging technologies, resilient supply chains.
It does not involve counter-piracy operations, hence 4 is incorrect.