Towards permanent presence in Arctic

Context:

• The recently released India’s Arctic Policy fulfills a longstanding need for a clear articulation on a rapidly transforming Arctic, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world.

India's arctic policy:

• India's arctic policy, titled "India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development" has six central pillars: Science and research, Environmental protection, Economic and human development, Transportation and connectivity, Governance and international cooperation and National capacity building. 
• Through these pillars, India aims to strengthen national capabilities and competencies in science and exploration, climate and environmental protection, maritime and economic cooperation with the Arctic region.
• India is one of the 13 countries holding the 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 region.

Importance of policy:

• The policy also aims to promote better analysis, prediction and coordinated policymaking on the implications of ice melting in the Arctic on India's economic, military and strategic interests related to global shipping routes, energy security and exploitation of mineral wealth.
• It also seeks to study the linkages between polar regions and the Himalayas and deepen the cooperation between India and the countries of the Arctic region under various Arctic forums, drawing expertise from scientific and traditional knowledge.
• The policy also seeks to increase India's participation in the Arctic Council and improve understanding of the complex governance structures in the Arctic, relevant international laws and geopolitics of the region. 

Importance Of region:

• The region holds immense geopolitical importance as the Arctic is projected to be ice-free by 2050 and world powers making a beeline to exploit the region rich in natural resources.
• Besides metals and minerals, the region is also known to have huge oil reserves and is expected to emerge as a key sea transport lane in the future.
• Thus India seeks to strengthen institutional and human resource capacities within the government and academic, research and business institutions through inter-ministerial coordination in pursuit of India's interests in the Arctic.

Permanent presence:

• India aspires to have a permanent presence, more research stations and establish satellite ground stations in the Arctic region.
• India presently has a single station, Himadri, in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, where research personnel are usually present for 180 days. 
• India is in the process of procuring an ice-breaker research vessel that can navigate the region.
• Through its existing network of satellites, India aspires to capture more detailed images to “assist in the development of the Arctic region.”

Arctic council:

• The Arctic has eight states i.e. Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Russia, Sweden and the United States which comprise the Arctic Council. 
• The Arctic council is home to about 4 million people, a tenth of them being indigenous tribes. 
• Arctic weather influences the Indian monsoon and hence has been of interest to Indian researchers for decades thus India has made a research base in the region in 2008 and also has two observatories.

Conclusion:

• India's Arctic Policy is timely and is likely to provide a direction to India's policymakers on contours of India's engagement with the region. 
• It is the first step towards developing a whole-of-government approach on India's engagement with the region.