In news– Parliament has recently passed the Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022.
Key features of the bill-
- It aims at having India’s own national measures for protecting the Antarctic environment as also the dependent and associated ecosystem.
- The bill is in pursuant to India’s accession to Antarctic Treaty, the Protocol on Environment Protection (Madrid Protocol) to the Antarctic Treaty and to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.
- Bill also seeks to ensure de-militarization of the region along with getting it rid of mining or illegal activities.
- It also aims that there should not be any nuclear test / explosion in the region.
- It provides a harmonious policy and regulatory framework for India’s Antarctic activities through well-established legal mechanisms and will help in efficient and elective operations of the Indian Antarctic Programme.
- It will also facilitate India’s interest and pro-active involvement in the management of growing Antarctic tourism and sustainable development of fisheries resources in Antarctic waters.
- It will also help in increased international visibility, credibility of India in Polar governance leading to international collaboration and cooperation in scientific and logistics fields.
- The enforcement of such laws will confer Jurisdiction on the courts of India to deal with any dispute or crimes committed in parts of Antarctica.
- The Bill also proposed to set-up the Indian Antarctic Authority (IAA) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which shall be the apex decision making authority and shall facilitate programmes and activities permitted under the Bill.
- Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences will be the Chairperson of the IAA and the IAA will have official members from the concerned India Ministries and decisions will be by consensus.
India’s initiatives related to Antarctica-
- India today has two operational research stations in Antarctica named Maitri (Commissioned in 1989) and Bharati (Commissioned in 2012).
- India has successfully launched 40 annual scientific expeditions to Antarctica till date.
- With Himadri station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Arctic, India now belongs to the elite group of nations that have multiple research stations within the Polar Regions.
- The Antarctic treaty was signed in 1959 by 12 countries — Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, French Republic, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Union of South Africa, USSR, the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the US of America, and came into force in 1961.
- India signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and received consultative status the same year.
- The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources was signed at Canberra on the 20th day of May, 1980, inter alia, for the protection and preservation of the Antarctic.
- India ratified the Convention on 17th June, 1985 and is a member of the Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources under that Convention.
- The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed at Madrid on 4th October, 1991, inter alia, to strengthen the Antarctic Treaty system and for the development of a comprehensive regime for the protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems.
- India signed the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty on 14th January, 1998.
Further reading: https://journalsofindia.com/antarctica-a-continent-of-superlatives/
Source: PIB
