India’s Arctic Policy

In 2022, the Government of India unveiled its Arctic policy named “India’s Arctic Policy: Building a Partnership for Sustainable Development.” This policy sets the foundation for fostering a collaborative approach towards sustainable development in the Arctic region.

The Policy consists of twenty-four pages and is organised into eight chapters, each focusing on one of six pillars.

Six Pillars Of India’s Arctic Policy

The six pillars of the Policy are as follows:

1. Science and Research
2. Climate and Environmental Protection
3. Economic and Human Development Cooperation
4. Transportation and Connectivity
5. Governance and International Cooperation
6. National Capacity-Building

Science And Research

In its Arctic Policy, India commits to bolstering its scientific research capabilities and fostering global partnerships.
Key goals include:

• Enhancing the existing research base, ‘Himadri’.
• Procuring a specialized ice-class ‘Polar Research Vessel’.
• Establishing dedicated institutional financial support for Arctic research. This includes developing private-public funding avenues for joint projects.
• Increasing involvement with the Arctic Council’s Working Groups and Task Forces.
• Boosting collaboration with international research institutions in the Arctic.
• India’s strong Earth Observation System uses satellite-based technology to monitor land, water, ocean, atmosphere, environment, ecosystems, and urban and rural applications. This system is also used for disaster risk reduction.
• The aim of the policy is to utilise India’s extensive space sector expertise for Arctic development.
• India’s Arctic Policy proposes the extension of remote-sensing capabilities to the Arctic region.
• The policy also encourages collaboration with Arctic nations for beneficial data sharing, which can be used in land and water management.
• India’s Arctic Policy seeks to enhance development in the Arctic region. This includes services like telecommunications, connectivity, maritime safety, navigation, and search and rescue operations.
• Additional services involved are hydrographic surveys, climate modelling, environmental monitoring, and sustainable marine resource management.
• The Arctic, due to its high latitude, is an excellent location for setting up antennas for polar orbiting satellites.
• Ground stations in the Arctic allow more frequent and immediate access to Earth Observation satellites compared to stations in lower latitudes.
• In line with this, India aims to install satellite ground stations in the Arctic. This will enable the optimal use of Indian satellites placed in polar orbits.

Also Read | Everything You Wanted To Know About The Arctic

Climate Change And Environment

• The second main element of India’s Arctic policy centers on climate change and the environment.
• The policy’s objectives are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG).
• These objectives include enhancing India’s engagement in the Arctic area and supporting global weather and climate predictions.
• The policy emphasises India’s participation in research to safeguard Arctic biodiversity and microbial diversity.
• The policy aims to aid in environmental management within the Arctic region.
• It seeks to work with Arctic Council Working Groups to assist in handling environmental emergencies, search and rescue operations, natural and manmade disasters, and accidents in the Arctic.
• The policy promotes the exchange of knowledge on nature-based solutions and circular economy.
• Notably, in 2015, the Arctic Council adopted the “Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions Reductions: An Arctic Council Framework for Action”. This was due to the climate impact of black carbon and methane emissions.

Black Carbon

• Black Carbon is a Short-lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP).
• These emissions have a decreasing impact as they fall to the ground with distance.
• India has high black carbon emissions, but their effect on Arctic melting needs further evaluation.
• Factors contributing to Arctic warming include more potent CO2 emissions, the most long-lasting Greenhouse Gas (GHG).
• It’s important for India not to let its black carbon emissions distract from the stronger CO2 emissions of developed countries.

Economic And Human Development Cooperation

• In this third pillar, India’s Policy acknowledges the opportunities stemming from the enhanced resource availability in the Arctic.
• However, it also emphasises the need to address the potential risks to the delicate Arctic environment that may arise from escalated economic activities.
• India aims for sustainable economic cooperation that benefits Arctic inhabitants, including indigenous groups.
• The policy encourages the celebration and application of traditional indigenous knowledge and best practices in economic interactions.
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals guide India’s economic vision for the Arctic.
• India is eager to collaborate with Arctic States for resource exploration, strengthening relationships in the process.

Transportation And Connectivity

• India holds a strategic maritime advantage that could potentially disrupt Chinese shipping supplies in the Indian Ocean during conflicts.
• India’s Arctic Policy aims to connect the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) with Russia’s Unified Deep-Water System (UDWS). The goal is to extend this connection to the Arctic.
• This connection could reduce shipping costs and spur development in indigenous communities and hinterlands, prioritizing North-South connectivity over East-West routes.
• China has labeled its trans-arctic shipping routes as the Polar Silk Road, incorporated within its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

• Linking the INSTC with the UDWS is projected to unlock a trade potential of over US$ 250 billion, bringing progress, prosperity, stability, and peace to the traversed regions.
• This connection will deepen cooperation with Russia, as development of the INSTC has been mentioned often in India-Russia joint statements.
• India is proposing the inclusion of the Chabahar Port in the INSTC and is actively seeking to expand the project’s membership.
• Recently, after the summit between India and five Central Asian countries on January 27, 2022, the Delhi Declaration supported India’s proposal to include Chabahar Port. It urged other Central Asian countries to consider joining the INSTC and noted Turkmenistan’s proposal to involve the Turkmenbashi Port within the INSTC framework.

Also Read | Significance Of Arctic For India

Governance And International Cooperation

• Governance and International Cooperation is the fifth pillar of India’s Arctic Policy.
• The governance structures in the Arctic involve eight nations, each with their own jurisdiction.
• These are guided by bilateral and multilateral treaties and conventions, as well as native customary laws.
• The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Polar Code is the only directive specific to the Arctic.
• Other frameworks guiding the Arctic include:
  • The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
  • The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG)
  • Various international environmental treaties
  • Rules on oil and gas liability
  • International human rights instruments
  • At the regional level, several agreements are relevant:
  • The 1920 Svalbard Treaty
  • The 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears
  • The 2011 Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue
  • The 2013 Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response
  • The 2017 Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation
  • The Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement (2018)
  • The Arctic Council is a top intergovernmental forum for Arctic cooperation.
  • Other important forums include the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC), the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO), Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) and Arctic Economic Council (AEC).
  • These forums promote business-to-business activities.
• India, an observer in the Arctic Council, has ratified almost all the international treaties.
• India is also a member of various international organisations relevant to the Arctic.
• The key objectives of this pillar encompass fostering cooperation and forging partnerships with all stakeholders in the region.
• It entails upholding the rights and freedoms enshrined in international law, specifically UNCLOS, while actively engaging in international climate change and environmental treaty frameworks pertaining to the Arctic.
• Further objectives include deepening comprehension of national and subnational legislation related to the Arctic and promoting exchanges with Arctic nations, expert bodies, and organizations.

Also Read | India’s Engagement In The Arctic

National Capacity-Building

• The sixth pillar of India’s Arctic Policy is National Capacity-Building.
• This principle focuses on expanding India’s capabilities.
• This includes bolstering human, institutional, and financial resources.
• A key strategy is enhancing the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR).
• Other relevant academic and scientific institutions will also be bolstered.
• The policy outlines the need to identify central institutes.
• Encouraging collaborations between institutions and agencies is another part of this strategy.
• The policy aims to enhance research abilities in Indian universities in Arctic-related fields.
• It seeks to increase expert resources in areas like mineral, oil and gas exploration, blue-bio economy, and Arctic tourism.
• The goal is to improve training institutions that focus on Polar/ice navigation, thereby building specific hydrographic abilities and skills essential for Arctic transits.
• The policy intends to create indigenous capabilities for the construction of ice-class standard ships, contributing to India’s maritime sector’s growth.
• It also strives to develop comprehensive institutional capacity in studying various Arctic-related subjects such as maritime, legal, environmental, social, policy, and governance issues.

Analysis

India’s Arctic policy has evolved. It has moved from a purely research-oriented strategy to a wider perspective now.
The six pillars of the policy cover every Arctic-related field of interest to India. These include issues like climate change, environmental impact, economic and human resources, as well as geopolitical and strategic factors. This new approach allows India to engage more comprehensively and holistically with the Arctic.

Funding

• The Policy confirms that necessary resources will be allocated for its execution.
• There is an aspiration to increase India’s multidisciplinary focus on the Arctic region.
• The expectation is that this renewed focus will result in a significant boost to the budgetary support for India’s Arctic scientific efforts.

Polar Research Vessel

• The Arctic Policy calls for the procurement of a Polar Research Vessel with ice-class specifications.
• This acquisition will give momentum to India’s Arctic program.
• The dedicated vessel will accelerate the process.

Whole-of-Government Approach

• India’s Arctic Policy sets out objectives. These will be enacted through an Action Plan.
• An inter-ministerial group, the Empowered Arctic Policy Group (EAPG), will oversee this.
• The policy sets out timelines and prioritizes activities. It involves all stakeholders – academia, research community, and business industry.
• This mechanism will likely boost analysis and prediction.
• It will also facilitate a coordinated approach within the Indian Government.
• The policy will give clarity to the region.
• Lastly, it will better serve India’s strategic, military and economic interests.

Awareness And Capacity

India’s Arctic policy aims to:

• Develop a strong human, institutional and financial base in line with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
• Enhance the training of seafarers in polar/ice navigation.
• Build up specific hydrographic capacity suitable for the region.
• Grow indigenous shipbuilding to ice-class standards.
• Increase the number of trained personnel in maritime insurance, chartering, arbitration, and brokerage.

Furthermore, the policy seeks to:

• Establish institutional capacity for the study of Arctic maritime, legal, environmental, social, policy, and governance issues.
• Apply the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other Treaties relevant to the Arctic region.

The expectation is that India’s Arctic Policy will:

• Lead to the creation of a larger pool of experts within the government and academia.
• Improve awareness of the Arctic in India.

Read the full report here