India aspires to have a permanent presence with more research and satellite ground stations in the Arctic region, suggests a perusal of its Arctic Policy document officially unveiled last week.
Arctic Council
Eight nations — Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Russia, Sweden and the United States — make up the Arctic Council.
India has the status of ‘Observer’ member — 12 other countries have such a status — in the Arctic Council and participates in several meetings that are mostly themed around research. Beyond science, India also expects business opportunities.
Significance
Arctic weather influences the Indian monsoon and hence has been of interest to Indian researchers for decades.
Climate change and the melting of ice caps imply changes to the Arctic weather.
Activities by India
India has had a research base in the region since 2008 and also has two observatories.
India now has a single station, Himadri, in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, where research personnel are usually present for 180 days. India is in the process of procuring an ice-breaker research vessel that can navigate the region.
India has sent 13 expeditions to the Arctic since 2007 and runs 23 active science projects.
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