Indian Ocean Naval Symposium

Both statements are correct. The inaugural Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was indeed held in India in March 2015 in New Delhi under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy. This was a historic gathering of navies from littoral states of the Indian Ocean. Statement 2 is also accurate as IONS is a voluntary, non-aligned initiative specifically designed to promote maritime cooperation, information exchange, and best practices among naval forces operating in the Indian Ocean Region. IONS does not have binding commitments but focuses on dialogue and cooperation to address common maritime challenges such as piracy, terrorism, and environmental protection. > IONS 2015 inaugural = India; voluntary maritime cooperation platform. Answer: (c).