The Indian Antarctic Programme

The Indian Antarctic Programme was founded in 1981 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research of the Indian Government.

In 1983, India became a member of the Antarctic Treaty, which resulted in establishing Dakshin Gangotri, a permanent Indian research facility on the continent. Maitri, a new base, was established in 1990. The Indian Antarctic Programme is a research-based initiative tasked with exploring the continent’s earth, chemical, atmospheric, medical, and biological sciences.

The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, in collaboration with the Department of Ocean Development, oversees the programme and chooses the expedition members. India has sent more than 30 scientific expeditions to Antarctica, and there are ongoing plans to establish Bharati, a new research facility.

India’s Antarctic Connection

Every member of an expedition must pass a series of medical examinations before being transported to the Himalayas for further training. Members are first acclimatised before receiving training in environmental ethics, survival, group work, and firefighting.

The excursions leave from either Goa in India or Cape Town in South Africa. The Indian Armed Forces provide logistical support for these expeditions. India is one of the few countries in the world with multiple Antarctic research stations. It has proven that it can do the impossible by demonstrating its presence in the world’s coldest places. Advanced equipment has been installed in the camps, and scientists are researching to keep the climatic conditions up to date. Other environmental issues related to the Antarctic regions are also considered to ensure no ecological difficulties arise.

India has undoubtedly accomplished much in recent decades and has demonstrated that it will not be overlooked in research. The country’s permanent installation of a facility in Antarctica has been a magnificent achievement, demonstrating its importance. The studies conducted here will contribute to the future improvement of the environment and society.

Antarctica has a crucial role in answering critical concerns regarding global climate change, such as contributions to global sea level, aerosol background characteristics, variability in sea ice cover, and phenomena such as Antarctic haze and Ozone concentrations.

This is why highly qualified scientists are chosen for the task, as it requires them to work in a severe climate. So far, 32 expeditions have been completed, with more to come. Every effort is worthwhile since we are witnessing advancements in numerous realms of science and technology due to these endurance-testing missions.

A comprehensive programme including the Atmospheric Sciences, Biological and Environmental Sciences, and Earth Sciences and Glaciological Sciences was developed with all of these factors in mind. Apart from that, the ESSO-NCAOR Student Participation Scheme encourages young students to join the Indian Antarctic Programme. In recent years, the reception to this programme has been exceedingly positive.

Dakshin Gangotri

This is the first Indian research station in Antarctica. The Gangotri Glacier, which feeds the Ganges River, is the source of the name. The Sanskrit/Hindi word ‘Dakshin’ means southern. 

It was founded in 1983-84 during the third Indian expedition to Antarctica. This was the first time an Indian team stayed in Antarctica for the winter to conduct scientific research. The third expedition team’s twelve members were the first to spend the winter in Dakshin Gangotri. They were there for about a year (from March 1984 to March 1985). Maitri, a permanent station, was created in 1989. Dakshin Gangotri was finally abandoned in 1991.

Maitri

Maitri, India’s second base, was established in 1989, just when Dakshin Gangotri was covered in ice and abandoned (but it continues to be used as a supply base). Maitri is a year-round Indian research station in Antarctica’s Schirmacher Oasis that focuses on atmospheric-biological-glaciological-earth science research as well as geomorphological mapping. 

Bharati

The new Antarctic research station, ‘Bharati’, lies around 3000 kilometres east of Maitri, between Thala Fjord and Quilty Bay, east of Stornes Peninsula in Antarctica, at 69° 24.41′ S, 76° 11.72′ E, roughly 35 metres above sea level. The station, which has a very tiny footprint, was commissioned on March 18, 2012, to help the Indian Antarctic Programme conduct year-round scientific research. During the summer and winter, the station can sustain 47 workers on a twin-sharing basis in the main structure, with an additional 25 in emergency shelters/summer camps, bringing the total capacity to 72.

The construction of the Bharati station in the Larsemann Hills began in 2012 and was completed in 2013. Bharati’s proximity to the shore allows for oceanographic studies as well as the study of continental drift, furthering our understanding of the Indian subcontinent’s geological past and its connections to Gondwana.

Conclusion

The research data received from the three permanent Indian research stations in Antarctica will be invaluable in subjects like meteorology, earth sciences, glaciology, and cold zone engineering. It will also aid in the prediction of natural disasters and the prevention of man-made calamities. Sharing scientific information among the different international permanent research facilities (despite their great distances across the icy landscape) can help us better comprehend various natural phenomena.