Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijiju, announced on Monday that India will begin annual winter expeditions to the Arctic. He made this statement while launching the country’s first winter expedition to the region. Rijiju stated during the ceremony at Prithvi Bhavan that the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will allocate necessary funds, provide administrative support, and ensure that the winter expeditions to the Arctic become a regular annual occurrence.
India has been conducting summer expeditions to the Arctic since 2007 and established its permanent research base, Himadri, in the Ny-Alesund region of Svalbard, Norway in 2008.
Thamban Meloth, director of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), shared that the winter expedition team will be stationed at Himadri. He emphasized the impact of Arctic warming on India, with evidence indicating a connection between extreme precipitation events in India and the loss of Arctic sea ice.
The team for the winter expedition consists of four members who are all visiting the Arctic for the first time. They are from various research institutions in India.
Norwegian agencies have provided logistical support to the Indian team for the winter expedition, marking their first visit to the Arctic.
Rijiju expressed India’s commitment to exploring various frontiers, including the moon, deep ocean, and polar region. M Rajeevan, former MoES secretary, welcomed India’s decision to have a year-round presence in the Arctic, emphasizing the importance of scientific research related to the Arctic environment.
India’s geographical distance from the Arctic does not diminish the direct impact that changes in the region have on India’s climate, especially concerning the Indian monsoon.
Meloth highlighted the need for India to have its polar exploration vessel to conduct independent scientific expeditions in the Arctic.
India is actively engaging with Danish and Norwegian institutes for Arctic research and has plans to strengthen its research capabilities in the polar region. This includes setting up observatories, increasing trained manpower, and enhancing participation in international Arctic forums.
India has been an “Observer” in the Arctic Circle Assembly since 2013 and joined the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System in 2019.
