MEA should have a 'polar ambassador', purchase polar research vehicles

A parliamentary panel has recommended appointing a dedicated polar ambassador, acquiring ice-breaking research vessels and pursuing full Arctic Council membership to strengthen India's polar diplomacy

The parliamentary standing committee on external affairs has recommended that India needs to appoint a “polar ambassador”, which would enable the country to pursue polar diplomacy in a more effective manner, and also work to get full member status of the Arctic Council.

 

In its report, ‘India’s Role and Presence in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions’, presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor-headed committee recommended the government to buy polar research vehicles, explore fishing by Indians in polar regions and increase budgetary allocations to grant scholarships for research in these regions.

 

The committee observed that all Arctic Council member states, and most non-Arctic observer states, including Japan, China, Singapore and South Korea, have Polar or Arctic Ambassadors. These countries also have a dedicated Polar or Arctic Affairs desk or department.

 

 

The committee felt that India's Ministry of External Affairs should also have such an ambassador exclusively to deal with polar regions and a dedicated desk for Arctic and Antarctic issues. This would help the country project the importance given to these regions in India’s foreign policy architecture, and it would also help articulate its policy stance regarding polar areas and pursue polar diplomacy more effectively, the committee's report said.

 

The committee noted that the government will adopt a suitable strategy to further strengthen its role as a representative of the Global South advocating their collective interests in the Arctic and the Antarctic Regions. It recommended that the government should have a quadrilateral agreement among India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea to enhance Asia’s collective voice in the Arctic Council in which the four countries are observers.

 

It said that India’s trade has benefitted by the introduction of the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor since November, 2024 and noted that development of shipment along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is being actively considered between India and Russia.

 

The committee asked the government to formulate an “Indian narrative of Arctic” to enhance India’s leadership position in polar areas of the world and project the Indian narrative of the Arctic in every platform to firmly establish its stake.

 

It said that India has not made use of the provision for ‘inspection of research stations’ under Antarctic Treaty System, which is necessary to assert its rightful position. It asked the Ministry of External Affairs to take necessary measures and start inspecting the research station of other member states starting with the research stations of those consultative parties which have already visited the Maitri Station of India.

 

The committee recommended that India should make efforts for arriving at consensus for a legally binding agreement for regulation of tourism in Antarctica. It said Indian tour operators and tourists visiting Antarctica may be properly sensitised about the fragile nature of the Antarctic ecosystem, before they undertake any tourism activity.

 

It recommended that budgetary outlay under Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER)  scheme be increased for effective year round operations of India’s research stations and enable scientists to take up activities with partner countries on equal footing. It also asked the government that Indians may participate in Antarctic fishing with due evaluation of the environmental risks in line with India’s commitment for sustainable development.

 

It asked the government to acquire Polar Research Vehicles (PRVs) with ice breaking capacity for undertaking both scientific and logistical activities considering the huge shortage of ice class vessels for hiring, which it said is seriously affecting India’s polar research and scientific activities.

 

The committee emphasised the need for giving incentives to polar studies and research by providing research fellowships and grants to doctorate scholars.