Relevance: GS II (International Relations) & GS III (Energy Security) | Source: The Indian Express 

1. The Big News: India Wants a Bigger Role

Recently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) discussed India’s request to become a “Full Member.”

• Current Status: Right now, India is only an “Associate Member” (since 2017). This means we can sit in the meetings but cannot vote on big decisions.
• The Goal: India is the world’s third-largest energy consumer. By becoming a Full Member, India wants a powerful, equal voice in deciding global oil policies and green energy goals.

2. The Main Hurdle: The Old Rulebook

Joining as a full member is not easy because the IEA’s old rules are very strict.

• The ‘OECD’ Condition: The IEA was created in 1974. Its old rulebook says that a country must be a member of the OECD (a group of mostly wealthy, developed nations) to get full IEA membership.
• The Problem: India is not an OECD member and does not plan to join it. So, to let India in, the IEA will have to change its decades-old laws or make a special exception just for us.

3. The ‘Emergency Oil’ Rule

If India becomes a full member, it must strictly follow a major condition:

• The 90-Day Rule: Every full member is forced to keep a massive emergency stock of crude oil safely hidden away.
• Why? This stock must be large enough to run the country for exactly 90 days. If a major war breaks out and global oil supplies suddenly stop, this reserve will save the country from shutting down.

4. Why Does the IEA Need India?

• Changing Times: When the IEA was formed in the 1970s, Western countries consumed most of the world’s energy. Today, things have completely changed.
• Mutual Need: Without large developing countries like India and China, the IEA represents a very small portion of global energy users. The IEA needs India to make its climate and energy plans successful, and India needs the IEA to secure its future energy supplies.

UPSC Value Box

Important Concept	Explanation
IEA (1974)	An international group formed right after the 1973 global oil crisis. Its main job is to manage oil emergencies and promote clean energy.
OECD	The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It is a club of mostly rich, developed countries.
Strategic Oil Reserves	Massive underground tanks or caves where a country safely hides extra crude oil to use during a war or natural disaster.

With reference to the International Energy Agency (IEA), consider the following statements:

1. It was established in response to the 1973 global oil crisis to help member countries manage major oil supply disruptions.
2. Under the IEA’s founding rules, a candidate country must be a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to become a full member.
3. Every full member is required to maintain total oil stock levels equivalent to at least 90 days of their previous year’s net imports.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (d)