National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research

About the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research: 

• It is an autonomous research institute established in 1998.
• It is India’s premier R&D institution responsible for the country’s research activities in the Polar and Southern Ocean realms.
• It is tasked with planning and executing polar expeditions and scientific research in Antarctica, Arctic, Himalayas and the Southern Ocean.
• It is the nodal agency for planning, promoting, coordinating, and executing the entire gamut of polar and southern ocean scientific research in the country and the associated logistics activities.
• It also undertakes research on some of the country’s strategically vital projects like mapping of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), continental shelf margins and the Deep Ocean Mission.
• The Center maintains a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) to help guide and concentrate the research activities.
• Location: It is located in Vasco da Gama, Goa, and was formerly known as the National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR).
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India.

What is the Deep Ocean Mission?

• It is an ambitious Indian initiative to explore and harness the depths of the ocean.
• It is a five-year mission, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2021, with a budget of nearly ₹4,077 crore.
• The mission aims to develop technologies for deep-sea mining, manned submersibles, and underwater robotics, as well as for ocean climate change advisory services, deep-ocean survey and exploration.

Q1: What is an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?

It is fined under UNCLOS, is an area of the ocean extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) immediately offshore from a country's land coast in which that country retains exclusive rights to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources.

Source: NCPOR IS ACQUIRING A NEW OCEAN RESEARCH VESSEL FOR DEEP OCEAN EXPLORATION