- It is India’s premier R&D institution responsible for the country’s research activities in the Polar and Southern Ocean realms.
- The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) was established as an autonomous Research and Development Institution of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (formerly Department of Ocean Development), Government of India on the 25th May
- NCPOR was formerly known as the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) & is situated in Vasco da Gama, Goa
- NCPOR is known for its participation in global experiments, hosting of international conferences and in the leadership of international committees concerned with Antarctic science.
- At present, NCPOR is an agency working under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, since 2006, by the notification of the President of India.
The mandate of NCPOR is multi-dimensional:
- Leadership role in niche areas of scientific research in the domain of polar and ocean sciences.
- Lead role in the geoscientific surveys of the country’s EEZ and its extended continental shelf beyond 200M, deep-sea drilling in the Arabian Sea basin through the IODP, exploration for ocean non-living resources such as the gas hydrates and multi-metal sulphides in mid-ocean ridges.
- Facilitatory role in the scientific research activities being undertaken by several national institutions and organizations in Antarctica, the Arctic and in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean.
- Management role in implementing all scientific and logistics activities related to the Annual Indian Expeditions to the Antarctic, Arctic and Southern Ocean.
- Management and upkeep of the Indian Antarctic Research Bases “Maitri” and “Bharati”, and the Indian Arctic base “Himadri”
- Management of the Ministry of Earth Sciences’s research vessel ORV Sagar Kanya as well as the other research vessels chartered by the Ministry
