Why in News?

India has expanded its Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) claim by nearly 10,000 sq km in the Central Arabian Sea. India has also modified earlier claims to avoid a long-standing maritime boundary dispute with Pakistan.

Revised submissions were made in April 2025 to the United Nations' Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Background - Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and ECS
• India’s Current Oceanic Claims
• Dispute with Pakistan and Sir Creek Issue
• India's Strategic Response - Modified and Partial Claims
• Overlap with Other Countries - Oman, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka

Background - Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and ECS:

• EEZ: Coastal countries have exclusive rights to mining, fishing, and resources up to 200 nautical miles from their baselines.
• ECS:
  • Countries can claim additional seabed areas if they can scientifically prove it is a natural extension of their landmass to the CLCS.
  • Rights include commercial mining of polymetallic nodules, oil reserves, and other valuable minerals. 

India’s Current Oceanic Claims:

• 12 nautical miles: Territorial Sea.
• 200 nautical miles:
• New extension: ~1.2 million sq km of ECS being added to ~2 million sq km EEZ.
• Combined seabed and sub-seabed area: It would become almost equal to India's land area of 3.274 million sq km.
• India's first submission to the CLCS: It was made in 2009 covering the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea.

Dispute with Pakistan and Sir Creek Issue:

• In 2021, Pakistan objected to India's claims, citing an overlap of 100 nautical miles near the disputed Sir Creek region.
  • Sir Creek is a disputed tidal estuary between Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and Sindh province (Pakistan).
• As a result, CLCS rejected India's full claim in the Arabian Sea in March 2023.

India's Strategic Response - Modified and Partial Claims:

• April 3, 2025: India submitted two partial claims to safeguard uncontested regions.
  • This approach avoids weakening India’s position in the valuable Central Arabian Sea region.
• Govt’s Position: “We have increased our claim by an additional 10,000 sq km based on new data.”
• Institutions of the MoES, such as the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR, Goa), have played a key role in the technical aspects of determining India’s continental shelf.

Overlap with Other Countries - Oman, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka:

• Oman: Overlaps exist but not under dispute due to a 2010 agreement.
• Myanmar and Sri Lanka:
  • India's claims in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean (~300,000 sq km) face objections from Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
  • CLCS will begin new consultations later this year on these claims.