Dr. Jitendra Singh releases India’s Arctic Policy

Union Minister of State Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh,released India's Arctic policy titled 'India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development’ on Thursday in New Delhi. India's Arctic policy shall be implemented through an action plan, and an effective governance and review mechanism involving the inter‐ministerial Empowered Arctic Policy Group. Implementing India's Arctic policy will involve multiple stakeholders, including academia, the research community, business, and industry.  Lauding the efforts of Indian scientists in studies of Arctic, Dr. Singh said that India's Arctic policy would play an essential role in preparing the country for a future where humankind's biggest challenges, such as climate change, can be addressed through collective will and effort. The Minister noted that India’s engagement with the Arctic dates back to a century when ‘Svalbard Treaty’ was signed in February 1920 in Paris and, today India is undertaking several scientific studies and research in the Arctic region.

India has a significant stake in the Arctic. It is one of thirteen nations holding Observer status in the Arctic Council, a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arctic. India's engagement with the Arctic region has been consistent and multidimensional. The country maintains that all human activity should be sustainable, responsible, transparent, and based on respect for international laws.