Quad
India, the USA, Japan and Australia.
Written by Pratidin; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
Revived in 2017; leaders' summits began in 2021.
Quick recall
- Who are the Quad members?
- India, the US, Japan and Australia.
- When was the Quad revived?
- 2017.
- When was the first leaders' summit?
- 2021.
- Is the Quad a military alliance?
- No.
- What is IPMDA?
- The Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (2022).
- What event first brought the four together?
- The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami relief.
Asked before in UPSC
Recurring theme: Minilateral partnerships in the Indo-Pacific
IPMDA is a Quad initiative, so the grouping's membership and maritime agenda frame this answer.
The Quad is the main existing partnership against which AUKUS has to be compared.
Directly tests the Quad's evolving agenda beyond security, including supply chains and technology.
The basics
Why it matters
The Quad, of India, the US, Japan and Australia, works for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, on issues from maritime security to vaccines and critical technologies.
How it evolved
Key milestones.
- 2004Tsunami Core Group
- 2007First Quad dialogue
- 2017Revived at official level
- 2021First leaders' summit
- 2022Maritime domain awareness initiative (IPMDA)
You now know
- Began after the 2004 tsunami; first dialogue in 2007.
- Revived in 2017; leaders' summits since 2021.
- Not a military alliance; no secretariat.
- Initiatives on vaccines, critical technologies, maritime awareness.
Go deeper
In one line: The Quad is a flexible partnership for a stable Indo-Pacific.
Why it matters for UPSC
India's Indo-Pacific policy is a key GS2 theme.
The core idea
It focuses on public goods and the Indo-Pacific balance, with the Malabar exercise as a related naval activity.
Where to go next
- Indo-Pacific: The ocean region linking Indian and Pacific Oceans
- Malabar exercise: Naval exercise of Quad navies
In one line: India values the Quad but avoids treating it as an alliance.
Balance
Strategic autonomy, ties with Russia, and China's objections. See Indo-Pacific and Malabar exercise.
Where to go next
- Indo-Pacific: The ocean region linking Indian and Pacific Oceans
- Malabar exercise: Naval exercise of Quad navies
Indo-Pacific
The ocean region linking Indian and Pacific Oceans
In one line: The Indo-Pacific links the Indian and Pacific Oceans as one strategic region.
India
Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (2019).
Goal
Free, open and rules-based order.
Where to go next
- Malabar exercise: Naval exercise of Quad navies
Malabar exercise
Naval exercise of Quad navies
In one line: Malabar is a naval exercise that began in 1992 between India and the US.
Members
Japan joined permanently in 2015 and Australia in 2020.
Where to go next
- Indo-Pacific: The ocean region linking Indian and Pacific Oceans
Prelims-style quiz
The Quad consists of:
- India, Japan, China, Korea
- India, US, UK, France
- US, UK, Canada, Australia
- India, US, Japan, Australia
Show answer
Answer: (d) India, US, Japan, Australia. India, US, Japan, Australia.
Consider the following:
1. The Quad is a formal military alliance.
2. The first Quad leaders' summit was held in 2021.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2 only. It is not a military alliance.
Malabar is a naval exercise that includes:
- SCO members
- India and Russia
- All Quad members
- Only India and US
Show answer
Answer: (c) All Quad members. Since 2020, all four Quad members.
The Quad's origins lie in cooperation after the:
- Kargil war
- 2004 tsunami
- Covid pandemic
- 2008 crisis
Show answer
Answer: (b) 2004 tsunami. 2004 tsunami.