News Brief
In A First, India Flags Off Winter Expedition To Arctic
The Himadri station.
Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju marked a significant milestone as he initiated India's inaugural winter expedition to the Arctic on Monday (18 December), affirming the country's dedication to conducting yearly missions to the polar region.
The announcement was made during a ceremony at Prithvi Bhavan in Delhi.
Rijiju emphasised, "the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will ensure necessary budgetary support, administrative assistance, and allocations for these annual Arctic expeditions," as reported by Indian Express.
Since 2007, India has been actively involved in summer expeditions to the Arctic and established the permanent research base, Himadri, in Svalbard, Norway, in 2008.
The four-member team, including first-time Arctic explorers Athulya R, Girish B S, Prashant Rawat and Surendra Singh, will be stationed at the Himadri research base.
In a noteworthy development, the Norwegian government has also extended logistical support for the expedition.
Expressing gratitude for Norway's support, Rijiju underscored the significance of India maintaining a year-round presence in the Arctic.
He also highlighted the pivotal role of scientists and young students in contributing to India's development.
Previously, India had actively participated in Arctic research, becoming part of the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System in 2019 and assuming the role of an 'Observer' in the Arctic Circle Assembly since 2013.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
