{"id":65780,"date":"2025-09-30T11:17:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T05:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=65780"},"modified":"2025-09-30T11:29:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T05:59:48","slug":"india-secures-second-deep-sea-mineral-exploration-contract-in-indian-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/india-secures-second-deep-sea-mineral-exploration-contract-in-indian-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"India Secures Second Deep-Sea Mineral Exploration Contract in Indian Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Deep-Sea Mineral Exploration Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has signed a new contract with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) granting exclusive rights to explore <\/span><b>Polymetallic Sulphides (PMS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the Carlsberg Ridge of the Indian Ocean.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With this, India has become the <\/span><b>first country in the world to hold two such ISA contracts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, commanding the largest seabed area allocated internationally for PMS exploration.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, will begin exploration in 2026 through geophysical and hydrographic surveys.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s application, submitted in 2024, was approved last week, allotting a <\/span><b>10,000 sq km area in the Carlsberg Ridge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This builds on its earlier 2016 contract for exploration in the Central and Southwest Indian Ridges, marking both a scientific breakthrough and a strategic advantage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Polymetallic Sulphides and Their Importance for India<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Polymetallic Sulphides (PMS) are rich seabed deposits containing <\/span><b>copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and trace amounts of rare and precious elements.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found near hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, these deposits form when seawater seeps into cracks, interacts with magma beneath the Earth\u2019s crust, and resurfaces as mineral-rich hot water that solidifies on the seabed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For India, PMS exploration is vital as land-based reserves of such minerals are limited.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Securing these resources is crucial for <\/span><b>strategic industries, renewable energy systems, high-technology applications, and green technologies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, thereby enhancing the country\u2019s <\/span><b>resource security and self-reliance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>India\u2019s Experience in PMS Exploration<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since signing its first PMS exploration contract with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in 2016, India\u2019s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) has carried out extensive surveys in the central and southwest Indian Ocean ridges, building significant expertise and infrastructure.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/deep-ocean-mission\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Deep Ocean Mission<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has strengthened these efforts by adding deep-sea vessels, advanced tools like <\/span><b>Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The upcoming <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/matsya-6000\/#:~:text=Sciences%20said%20recently.-,About%20Matsya%206000,6%2C000%20meters%20in%20the%20ocean.\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Matsya submersible<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/what-is-samudrayaan-project\/#:~:text=It%20is%20aimed%20to%20develop,conduct%20biodiversity%20assessments%20as%20well.\" target=\"_blank\">Samudrayaan mission<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which will further expand exploration capacity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NCPOR follows a <\/span><b>three-phase plan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Reconnaissance surveys<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with ship-based tools to locate potential PMS sites.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Near-seabed surveys<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> using AUVs and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to confirm deposits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Resource evaluation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of identified PMS areas for assessing their economic potential.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Significance of the Carlsberg Ridge<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Carlsberg Ridge, part of the <\/span><b>mid-ocean ridge system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the Indian Ocean, was formed by seafloor spreading between the <\/span><b>Indian Plate and Somali Plate<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about 40 million years ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a slow spreading rate of 2.4\u20133.3 cm per year, it features rugged flanking topography and a <\/span><b>median valley typical of slow-spreading ridges<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ridge hosts hydrothermal vent systems, making it a potential hotspot for Polymetallic Sulphide (PMS) deposits.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has been studying these systems for over three decades.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strategically, its proximity \u2014 located near 2\u00b0N latitude, much closer to India than the Central and Southwest Indian Ridges at 26\u00b0S \u2014 makes it highly significant for resource security and scientific exploration.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>How PMS Exploration Differs from Other Underwater Mineral Searches<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PMS exploration is far more complex than other seabed mineral investigations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PMS deposits occur near <\/span><b>hydrothermal vents<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> along mid-ocean ridges, at depths of <\/span><b>2,000\u20135,000 metres<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where the terrain is rocky, uneven, and remote.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Survey operations require deep-sea vessels with dynamic positioning, precise navigation, and advanced communication systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike other explorations, PMS demands a <\/span><b>multidisciplinary team<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of marine geologists, geophysicists, oceanographers, biologists, and deep-sea technologists.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exploration methods involve ship-mounted geophysical surveys for reconnaissance, and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for detailed near-seabed mapping and sample collection.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advanced tools are essential to <\/span><b>accurately analyse mineral composition<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, making PMS exploration one of the most technically demanding deep-sea missions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>How ISA Allocates Mineral Exploration Sites<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>International Seabed Authority (ISA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, established under the <\/span><b>UNCLOS framework<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, manages mineral exploration in international waters.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Countries, through their governments, public sector bodies, or sponsored entities, apply to the ISA for exploration rights.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applications must include details of the proposed area, a <\/span><b>work plan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>environmental baseline studies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and proof of <\/span><b>technical and financial capacity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ISA\u2019s <\/span><b>Legal and Technical Commission (LTC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reviews these submissions for compliance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If approved, the application is forwarded to the <\/span><b>ISA Council<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for final clearance, granting the applicant exclusive exploration rights in the designated seabed area.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>India\u2019s Plans for Additional Mineral Exploration in the Indian Ocean<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As part of its <\/span><b>Blue Economy initiatives<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India is pursuing more seabed mineral exploration rights in the Indian Ocean.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond its existing contracts for <\/span><b>Polymetallic Sulphides (PMS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India has applied to the ISA for rights to explore <\/span><b>cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the <\/span><b>Afanasy-Nikitin Seamount<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the Central Indian Ocean. This application is currently under review.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Securing such rights would further strengthen India\u2019s access to <\/span><b>strategic and critical minerals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> vital for technology, renewable energy, and long-term resource security.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/india-pms-exploration-carlsberg-ridge-indian-ocean-significance-10278691\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2168923\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">PIB<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India gains exclusive rights to explore polymetallic sulphides in the Carlsberg Ridge, boosting strategic mineral security and advancing deep-ocean exploration capacity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":65823,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[2978,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-65780","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-deep-sea-mineral-exploration","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65780"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65780\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}