India Eyes Full Arctic Council Membership

# India Eyes Full Arctic Council Membership ### 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**.