India’s Arctic Policy released

Context

The Centre released India’s Arctic Policy, with the aim of enhancing the country’s cooperation with the resource-rich and rapidly transforming region. 

About the Policy

• Title: ‘India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development’.
• The policy also seeks to combat climate change and protect the environment in the region, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world.
• The policy is built on six central pillars — 

1. 1. science and research
   2. climate and environmental protection
   3. economic and human development
   4. transportation and connectivity
   5. governance and international cooperation
   6. national capacity building

India and the Arctic region

• The history of India’s relationship with the region, which can be traced back to February 1920, when it signed the Svalbard treaty in Paris. 
• In 2007, India launched its first scientific expedition to the Arctic. 
• Since then, India has been able to set up an observatory in Kongsfjorden as well as an atmospheric laboratory at Gruvebadet. 
• Since 2013, India has been an Observer nation in the Arctic Council, where it has consistently participated in meetings of Senior Arctic Officials and contributed to its six Working Groups, the policy states.