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Mahesh

23/07/22 07:55 AM IST

Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022

In News 
  • Lok Sabha passed the Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022 moved by Minister of Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh.
  • The Bill aims at having India’s own national measures for protecting the Antarctic environment as also the dependent and associated ecosystem.
Provisions of the bill 
  • The Bill seeks to give effect to the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed in 1959 by 12 countries.
  • It was implemented in 1961, and India, which has two permanent scientific stations Matri and Bharti in the continent, became a signatory to it in 1983.
  • The fundamental objective of the treaty is demilitarisation of Antarctica.
  • The signatories are supposed to bring laws so that no activity in contravention of the treaty takes place.
  • The law is supposed to take care of any violations, offer solutions and fix appropriate punishment.
  • Apart from extending the jurisdiction of Indian courts to Antarctica for investigation and trial for crimes committed on the Arctic continent, the Bill also introduces regulations to ensure that scientific missions or commercial expeditions do not harm the ecology of the continent.
  • The bill aims at promoting Antarctica as a natural reserve that is devoted to science and peace, and to ensure that Antarctica does not become the scene of international discord.
  • The Bill proposes to set-up Indian Antarctic Authority (IAA) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences as the apex decision making authority.
  • It also aims that there should not be any nuclear test / explosion in the region.
Significance 
  • It will also facilitate India’s interest and pro-active involvement in the management of growing Antarctic tourism and sustainable development of fisheries resources in Antarctic waters.
  • It will also help in increased international visibility, credibility of India in Polar governance leading to international collaboration and cooperation in scientific and logistics fields.
  • This will also be useful in building credibility and enhance the status of the Country globally.
Antarctic Treaty 
  • The Antarctic Treaty was signed at Washington D.C. on the 1st December, 1959 and was initially signed by 12 countries.
  • Since then, 42 other countries have acceded to the Treaty.
  • A total of fifty-four State Parties to the Treaty, twenty-nine countries have the status of Consultative Party with a right to vote in the Antarctic Consultative Meetings and twenty-five countries are Non-Consultative Parties having no right to vote.
  • India signed the Antarctic Treaty on the 19th August, 1983 and received the consultative status on the 12th September, 1983.
  • The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources was signed at Canberra on the 20th day of May, 1980, inter alia, for the protection and preservation of the Antarctic environment and, in particular, for the preservation and conservation of marine living resources in Antarctica.
  • India ratified the Convention on 17th June, 1985 and is a member of the Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources under that Convention. 
Source- PIB 

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