Context:
India is set to host the prestigious 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.
Antarctic Treaty:
- Signed in – 1959 and entered into force in 1961.
- Objective – For making the Antarctic Continent a demilitarized zone to be preserved for scientific research only.
- 12 original signatories – Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the UK and the US.
- Current members – 56
- India signed the treaty and received the consultative party status in 1983.
- Key provisions –
- Promoting the freedom of scientific research.
- Countries can use the continent only for peaceful purposes.
- Prohibition of military activities, nuclear tests and the disposal of radioactive waste.
- Neutralising territorial sovereignty, this means a limit was placed on making any new claim or enlargement of an existing claim.
- It put a freeze on any disputes between claimants over their territories on the continent
- Key Protocol and Conventions –
- Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, 1980
- Protocol on Environment Protection (Madrid Protocol) to the Antarctic Treaty, 1991
Indian Antarctic Programme:
- Scientific research and exploration program under the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCPOR).
- Indian scientific research base stations established in Antarctica – Dakshin Gangotri (1st), Maitri (2nd) and Bharti
- Sagar Nidhi – Commissioned in 2008, it is the 1st Indian vessel to navigate Antarctic waters.
Source: PIB
Previous Year Question
With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements:
1. A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baseline determined in accordance with the convention.
2. Ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
3. The Exclusive Economic Zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
