Parliamentary Panel Recommends Appointment of a Polar Ambassador for India

Key facts

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, recommended that the Centre consider appointing a polar ambassador.
• According to the committee, the position will help India project the importance of polar regions in its foreign policy architecture and pursue polar diplomacy effectively.
• The committee noted that all Arctic Council Member States and most Non-Arctic Observer States, including Japan, China, Singapore and South Korea, have a Polar/Arctic Ambassador and a dedicated Polar/Arctic Affairs Desk.
• The committee recommended expeditious construction of a new Maitri research station in Antarctica to strengthen India's long-term scientific presence.
• India has two Antarctic research stations, Maitri and Bharati, with Maitri operational since 1989 and Bharati established in 2012.
• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told the committee that India is committed to a rules-based approach and envisions itself as a science-driven and environmentally responsible actor in the Arctic and Antarctic.