Rapid Fire
Antarctica Day and 25 Years of NCPOR
- 02 Dec 2025
- 2 min read
India celebrated Antarctica Day (1st December) while also marking 25 years of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa reaffirming its role as the country’s lead institution for polar and ocean exploration.
- Antarctica Day: It commemorates the Antarctica Treaty (1959), that set aside nearly 10% of Earth for peaceful purposes and scientific research.
- The Treaty froze territorial claims to the continent, banned nuclear weapons and waste on the continent, and preserved the entire region south of 60 degrees south latitude for peaceful purposes.
- India has been a Consultative Party since 1983, giving it voting rights and the ability to operate research stations and contribute to Antarctica’s scientific and environmental governance.
- NCPOR: It was established in 1998 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), NCPOR is India’s nodal agency for coordinating the Indian Antarctic Programme and maintaining the Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2011) research stations.
- Located in Goa, it leads multidisciplinary polar and Southern Ocean research and has recognised research facilities for doctoral studies.
- NCPOR has established India’s permanent research stations: Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri, Bharati (Antarctica) and Himadri (Arctic), along with the Himalayan research station Himansh.
- The Ministry of Finance has approved Maitri-II, a new East Antarctica research station to be led by NCPOR.
- It plays a key role in India’s Deep Ocean Mission, linking polar science with strategic national priorities.
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Read more: India's Tryst with Antarctica |
