India and the future of Antarctica!!!

India hosted the 10th SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) conference on 'Antarctica in a Changing World' for the first time in 2022 and contributed to the international Polar Year celebrations. There have been 11 indian expeditions to the Southern Ocean and one expedition each to the Weddell sea and the South Pole. In an effort to demonstrate its support for the Antarctic Treaty System, india organized and hosted the 30th ATCM in New delhi in 2007. india also collaborated with norway and the UK to study the Antarctic ice shelf and ice growth and to drill ice cores for climate studies.

According to Dr. Thamban Meloth, director of NCPOR, india has a legal framework to regulate India's activities, including tourism, in antarctica through the indian Antarctic Act, which came into force in 2022. The indian Antarctic Act works with other Antarctic Treaty nations to accomplish shared conservation objectives and harmonizes India's tourism laws with global norms.

Over the past forty years, india has established itself as a significant player in Antarctic research, environmental management, and international collaboration within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty, according to Dr Vijay Kumar, Advisor to MoES and Head of the Host Country Secretariat. Additionally, india will offer a forum for talking about Belarus and canada becoming consultative parties to the Antarctic Treaty System. Additionally, since 1988 and 2006, respectively, canada and belarus have been signatories to the Antarctic Treaty System.

As part of its facilitation of the talks, india will involve new advisory parties in keeping with the larger goals of advancing scientific research and global collaboration in Antarctica. As the newly elected Chairman of the 46th ATCM and 26th CEP, Ambassador Pankaj asserts that maintaining the Antarctic Treaty System's pristine environment and promoting scientific research in the region depend heavily on the cooperative efforts of its member nations. india is influencing how Antarctic governance is shaped in the future with its dedication and leadership.