Indian Antarctic Program

Col. Jatinder Kumar Bajaj, a member of one of the Indian expeditions to Antarctica, standing at the South Pole (17 January 1989)

The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under the control of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica.^[3] The program gained global acceptance with India's signing of the Antarctic Treaty and subsequent construction of the Dakshin Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983,^[3] superseded by the Maitri base from 1990. Under the program, atmospheric, biological, earth, chemical, and medical sciences are studied by India, which has carried out 30 scientific expeditions to the Antarctic as of 14 October 2010 and is currently planning to build an additional research station in the region named Bharathi and thus India is all set to join the elite group of nine countries which have multiple bases in Antarctica.^[4]

History

The origins of Indian missions to the Antarctic are traced to the joint Indian Space Research Organisation – Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia agreements, which led to Indians, such as Dr. Paramjit Singh Sehra, joining the 17th Soviet Antarctic expedition of 1971–1973.^[5]

India and Antarctic Treaty

Antarctic Treaty System:

  signatory, consulting, territorial claim.

  signatory, consulting, reserved right for territorial claim.

  signatory, consulting.

  signatory, acceding status.

  non-signatory.

After successful completion of First Indian Expedition to Antarctica, the Government of India evaluated the various advantageous and disadvantageous implications of joining the Antarctic Treaty System and a decision was taken that to accede to the Antarctic Treaty System.

The decision by India to join the Treaty was largely based on the following considerations  :-

• That India would be able to exchange scientific information with other members of the Treaty and thereby enhance its analytical capabilities.
• That if elected, India would be able to participate in the meetings of the Consultative Committees and in doing so, will effectively project her own views as well as those of the non-aligned countries.
• That India would be able to participate in the ongoing discussions on the resources of Antarctica and ensure that any regime set up would be in harmony with India's overall policies and objectives.

Thus an Instrument of Accession, signed by the President of India was deposited with the Depository Government of United States of America in Washington D. C. on 1 August 1983. On 12 September 1983, within one month after accession, to the Treaty, at the Fifth Special Consultative Meeting of the Antarctic Treaty held in Canberra, the Notifications of India on its entitlement to participate as a full Consultative Member in the Consultative Meeting of the Antarctic Treaty was considered. The representative countries acknowledged by consensus that India had fulfilled the requirement established in Article IX, Paragraph 2 of the Antarctic Treaty and was entitled tobecome the fifteenth Consultative Member of the Antarctic Treaty.

India participated for the first time in XII Consultative Committee meeting held in Canberra, Australia from 13 September 1983 to 27 September 1983 ^[6]

Organization

The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research—a research and development body functioning under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India—controls the Indian Antarctic program.^[2] The NCAOR and the Department of Ocean Development select the members for India's Antarctic expeditions.^[5] After medical tests and subsequent acclimatization training at the Himalayas, these selected members are also trained in survival, environment ethics, firefighting and operating in a group.^[5]

One expedition costs up to 20 crore (US$3.2 million).^[5] Logistical support to the various activities of the Indian Antarctic program is provided by the relevant branches of the Indian armed forces.^[2] The launching point of Indian expeditions has varied from Goa in India to Cape Town in South Africa on 19th expedition during the time of NCAOR Founding Director Dr. P C Pandey in December 1999.^[5] Over 70 institutes in India contributed to its Antarctic program as of 2007.^[5]

Global Cooperation

The Indian Antarctic program is bound by the rules of the Antarctic Treaty System, which India signed in 1983.^[2] Pandey (2007) outlines the various international activities that India has undertaken as a part of its Antarctic program:

India also collaborates with the international community as a member of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Regional Committee of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission in Coastal Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO), International Seabed Authority (ISBA), and the State Parties of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).^[2][7][8]

Research

Krill distribution on a NASA SeaWIFS image — the main concentrations are in the Scotia Sea at the Antarctic Peninsula. India carries out krill exploration in the Southern Ocean region of the Antarctic.^[1][2]

Antarctic holds scientific interest for global research projects due to a number of reasons: 'Origin of continents, climate change, meteorology and pollution' are among the reasons cited by S.D. Gad (2008).^[2] Mrinalini G. Walawalkar (2005) holds that: 'ice–ocean interaction and the global processes; paleoenvironment and paleoclimatic studies; geological evolution of earth and Gondwanaland reconstruction; Antarctic ecosystems, biodiversity and environment physiology; solar terrestrial processes and their coupling; medical physiology, adaptation techniques and human psychology; environment impact assessment and monitoring; enabling low temperature technology development; and studies on earthquakes' are among the areas of study under the Indian Antarctic program.^[8]

Close to 1,300 Indians had been to the continent as of 2001 as a part of the country's Antarctic program.^[1] Indian expeditions to the Antarctic also study the fauna and the molecular biodiversity of the region.^[9][10] A total of 120 new microbes had been discovered as a result of international scientific effort in the Antarctic by 2005.^[8] 20 of these microbes had been discovered by Indian scientists.^[8] India has also published over 300 research publications based on Antarctic studies as of 2007.^[5]

The 'ice cores' retrieved by drilling holes in Antarctic's vast ice-sheets yield information 'on the palaeoclimate and eco-history of the earth as records of wind-blown dust, volcanic ash or radioactivity are preserved in the ice as it gets accumulated over time'.^[2] The NCAOR developed a polar research & development laboratory with a 'low-temperature laboratory complex at –20°C for preservation and analysis of ice core and snow samples' according to S.D. Gad (2008).^[2] The 'ice core' samples are held, processed, and analyzed in containment units designed by such technology.^[2] Storage cases made of poly propylene also ensure that the samples do not alter characteristics and are preserved for analysis in the form that they were recovered.^[2]

Research stations

In 1981 the Indian flag unfurled for the first time in Antarctica, marking the start of Southern Ocean expeditions under the environmental protocol of the Antarctic Treaty (1959).

Dakshin Gangotri

The first permanent settlement was built in 1983 and named Dakshin Gangotri. In 1989 it was buried and was later excavated and is being used again.

Maitri

The second permanent settlement, Maitri, was put up in 1989 on the Schirmacher Oasis and has been conducting experiments in geology, geography and medicine. India built a freshwater lake around Maitri known as Lake Priyadharshini. Maitri accomplished the mission of geomorphologic mapping of Schirmacher Oasis.

Bharathi

India has demarcated an area beside Larsmann Hill at 69°S, 76°E for its third settlement and second active research station. The survey has already been completed and the station is operational. India has entered the elite group of nine nations having multiple stations within the Antarctic Circle. Bharati is proposed for oceanographic research and will collect evidence of continental breakup to reveal the 120-million-year-old ancient history of the Indian subcontinent. In news sources this station is variously spelled "Bharathi",^[11] "Bharti"^[4] and "Bharati".^[12]

Indian Antarctic Expeditions

Notes

References

• Gad, S. D. (2008), "India in the Antarctic", Current Science, 95 (2): 151, Bangalore: Indian Academy of Sciences.
• Pandey, P.C. (2007) in "India: Antarctic Program", Encyclopedia of the Antarctic edited by Beau Riffenburgh, pp. 529–530, Abingdon and New York: Taylor & Francis, ISBN 0-415-97024-5.
• Pursuit and Promotion of Science - The Indian Experience (2001), New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy.
• Walawalkar, M. G. (2005), "Antarctica and Arctic: India’s contribution", Current Science, 685, Bangalore: Indian Academy of Science.

External links

• National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (NCAOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.