Indian Antarctic Programme
The Indian Antarctic Programme is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional programme under the control of the
History
The origin of the Indian missions to the Antarctic are traced to the joint
India officially acceded to the Antarctic Treaty System on 1 August 1983. On 12 September 1983, the country became the fifteenth Consultative Member of the Antarctic Treaty.[3]
Organization
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research—a research and development body functioning under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India—controls the Indian Antarctic Programme.[4] The NCPOR and the Department of Ocean Development select the members for India's Antarctic expeditions.[2] After medical tests and subsequent acclimatisation training at the Himalayas, these selected members are also trained in survival, environment ethics, firefighting and operating in a group.[2]
One expedition costs up to ₹200 million (US$2.5 million).
Global cooperation
The Indian Antarctic Programme is bound by the rules of the Antarctic Treaty System, which India signed in 1983.[4] Pandey (2007) outlines the various international activities that India has undertaken as a part of its Antarctic Programme:
On 12 September 1983, India achieved the status of Consultative Party, on 1 October became a member of
Cochin. India occupied the CCAMLR chair beginning in November 1998 for a period of 2 years.[2]
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).[4][5][6]
Research
Antarctica 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).
Close to 1,300 Indians had been to the continent as of 2001 as a part of the country's Antarctic Programme.[7] Indian expeditions to the Antarctic also study the fauna and the molecular biodiversity of the region.[8][9] A total of 120 new microbes had been discovered as a result of international scientific effort in the Antarctic by 2005.[6] 30 of these microbes had been discovered by Indian scientists.[6] India has also published over 300 research publications based on Antarctic studies as of 2007.[2]
The 'ice cores' retrieved by drilling holes in Antarctic's vast ice-sheets yield information 'on the
Research stations
In 1981 the Indian flag unfurled for the first time in Antarctica, marking the start of Southern Ocean expeditions under the
Dakshin Gangotri
The first permanent settlement was built in 1983 and named Dakshin Gangotri. In 1989 it was excavated and is being used again as supply base and transit camp. Dakshin Gangotri was decommissioned in the year 1990 after half of it got buried under the ice. It is nothing more than a historical site now. In its times, it used to double up as a place for multiple support systems, including the presence of an ice-melting plant, laboratories, storage, accommodation, recreation facilities, a clinic and also a bank counter.
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 this station close to a freshwater lake around Maitri known as Lake Priyadarshini. Maitri accomplished the mission of geomorphologic mapping of Schirmacher Oasis.
Bharati
Located beside Larsmann Hill at 69°S, 76°E, Bharati is established in March 2012. This newest research station for oceanographic research will collect evidence of continental break-up to reveal the 120-million-year-old ancient history of the Indian subcontinent. In news sources this station was variously spelled "Bharathi",[10] "Bharti"[11] and "Bharati".[12]
India Post Office in Antarctica
It was established in the year 1984 during the third Indian expedition to Antarctica. It was located at Dakshin Gangotri. As many as 10,000 letters were posted and cancelled in this post office in total in the first year of its establishment. Although the post office is no more there, it is a favourite stopover for Indian tourists who visit the place in cruise ships.
The current Indian post office in Antarctica is situated at Maitri, where the country's current research station is also situated.
Indian Antarctic expeditions
Date | Expedition | Leader | Deputy Leader | Leader (Summer Team) | Deputy Leader (Summer Team) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981–1982 | First Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr. Sayed Zahoor Qasim
|
C. P. Vohra, H. N. Siddiquie | ||
1982–1983 | Second Indian Expedition to Antarctica | V. K. Raina | Dr. C. R. Sreedharan | ||
1983–1985Vijay Kumar Raina | Third Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr Harsh K. Gupta | Lieutenant Colonel Satya Swarup Sharma | ||
1984 | Fourth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr. B.B. Bhattacharya | Col. P. Kumaresh | ||
1985-86 | Fifth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Mr M.K Kaul | Dr Vinod K Dhargalkar | ||
1986-87 | Sixth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr A M Parulekar | Col. V.S.Iyer (V.S.M) | ||
1987-1989 | Seventh Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr R. Sen Gupta | Col P Ganeshan | Dr. G. S. Mittal | |
1988–1990 | Eighth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr Amitava Sen Gupta | Col S Jagannathan | Lt Col J P Khadilkar | |
1989–1991 | Ninth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Rasik Ravindra | |||
1990–1992 | Tenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr A. K. Hanjura | |||
1991–1993 | Eleventh Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr. Shardendu Mukherjee | |||
1992-94 | Twelfth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr Vinod K Dhargalkar | |||
1993-95 | Thirteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Mr G Sudhakar Rao | |||
1994-96 | Fourteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr S D Sharma | |||
1995-1996 | Fifteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Sh Arun Chaturvedi | |||
1996-98 | Sixteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr Anand L. Koppar | |||
1997-99 | Seventeenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Sh K. R. Shivan | |||
1998-2000 | Eighteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | sh. Ajay Dhar | |||
1999-2001 | Nineteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Sh, Arun Chaturvedi | |||
2000-2003 | Twentieth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Mr Marvin D'Souza | |||
2001–2003 | Twenty first Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Shri Ram Prasad Lal | |||
2002-04 | Twenty Second Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr Arun Hanchinal | |||
2003-05 | Twenty third Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Sh S Jayaram | |||
2004-06 | Twenty fourth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Sh Rajesh Asthana | |||
2005-2007 | Twenty fifth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Sh L Prem Kishore | |||
Twenty sixth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | |||||
Twenty seventh Indian Expedition to Antarctica | |||||
2008–2009 | Twenty eighth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr. P. Malhotra | Ajay Dhar | ||
2009–2010 | Twenty ninth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | P. Elango | Rajesh Asthana | ||
2010–2011 | Thirtieth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | K. Jeeva | Rajesh Asthana | ||
2011–2012 | Thirty first Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr. Rupesh M. Das (Bharati) & Shree Uttam Chand (Maitri) | Rajesh Asthana | ||
2013–2014 | Thirty third Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Mohd. Yunus Shah (Bharati) | Abhijit Patil (Bharati) | ||
2014–2015 | Thirty fourth Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Kailash Bhindwar (Bharati) | Syed Shadab (Bharati) | ||
2017–2018 | Thirty seven Indian Expedition to Antarctica | Dr. Shailesh Pednekar (Bharati) | Bagati Sudarshan Patro (Bharati) | ||
2018–2020 | 38th Indian Expedition to Antarctica | K. Jeeva, Matri- P. Elengo, Bharati |
Notes
- ^ a b Walawalkar (2015), Gad (2008)
- ^ a b c d e f g h Anas (2007)
- ^ Department of Ocean Development, Government of India. Annual Report 1983-1984, TECHNICAL PUBLICATION NO. 3., Printed at Dee Kay Printers Kirtinagar, New Delhi
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gad (2008)
- ^ Pursuit and Promotion of Science – The Indian Experience (2001), 351
- ^ a b c d Walawalkar (2005)
- ^ a b Pursuit and Promotion of Science – The Indian Experience (2001), 352
- ^ Pursuit and Promotion of Science – The Indian Experience (2001), 173
- ^ Pursuit and Promotion of Science – The Indian Experience (2001), 213
- ^ "The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Cuddalore News : Third Antarctica research station by 2011". 11 April 2009. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009.
- ^ "Bharti to be 3rd Indian station in Antarctica", The Times of India, 6 August 2009
- ^ "The Hindu News Update Service". Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
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.
- "Scientific Report of First Indian Expedition to Antarctica" (PDF). Department of Ocean Development, Government of India. 2016.
External links
- National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (NCAOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.