Why in News?
The Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs has recommended that India appoint a Polar Ambassador and seek full-fledged membership in the Arctic Council, moving beyond its current observer status.
What does this mean for India?
India is currently one of the 13 observer countries in the Arctic Council, which means it has no decision-making power and cannot fund or direct research. Full membership would give India a voice in Arctic governance, which is becoming strategically important due to melting ice, new shipping routes, and mineral wealth.
The panel also suggests a quadrilateral agreement with other Asian observers like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore to strengthen regional cooperation. This signals a shift in India's Arctic Policy from purely scientific research to include geopolitics, strategy, and mineral extraction, especially critical minerals and components for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
To support this, India may explore access to Russian Arctic research stations, such as the Chersky station in Siberia, which is key for studying permafrost, biology, and atmospheric physics.
Exam Connect
Arctic Council → Established in 1996 by the Ottawa Declaration, with 8 permanent members and headquarters in Tromsø, Norway.
India's Arctic presence → Himadri research station at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, set up in 2008; nodal ministry is Ministry of Earth Sciences, which launched India's Arctic Policy in 2022.