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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3089
ANSWERED ON 19/03/2026
STRENGTHENING POLAR AND OCEAN RESEARCH
3089. # SMT. SEEMA DWIVEDI:
DR. PARMAR JASHVANTSINH SALAMSINH:
SHRI NARAYANA KORAGAPPA:
SHRI JAGGESH:
SHRI ASHOKRAO SHANKARRAO CHAVAN:
Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:
(a) whether the construction of new Polar Bhavan and Sagar Bhavan facilities has
strengthened India's research capabilities in the Arctic and Antarctic regions;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) how Government proposes to integrate these facilities with India’s long-term Polar
Research Programme and global climate commitments;
(d) whether Government plans to launch additional domestically built research vessels
under the Make in India initiative to strengthen polar and ocean research; and
(e) if so, the details thereof, including proposed timelines, financial outlays, and the
scientific objectives envisaged under such initiatives?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
AND EARTH SCIENCES
(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) Yes Sir.
(b) The newly constructed Polar Bhavan and Sagar Bhavan facilities significantly
strengthen India’s research capabilities in the Polar regions. Different types of samples
collected during the annual scientific expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctic, Southern
Ocean and Himalayas are being processed at the advanced laboratories and analytical
instruments housed at the Polar Bhavan enabling cutting-edge studies in polar
geosciences, deep-ocean mineral exploration, and climate dynamics. The ‘Science on
a Sphere’ facility and upcoming Polar and Ocean Museum promote scientific outreach
and global collaboration. Sagar Bhavan’s ultra-low temperature ice-core labs, cold
storage, and metal-free clean rooms support critical climate and cryosphere research,
enabling precise geochemical and isotope analyses. Collectively, these facilities
strengthen India’s institutional capacity to conduct advanced scientific research,
preserve valuable cryospheric samples, and promote knowledge dissemination in the
field of polar and ocean studies.(c) The Polar and Sagar Bhavan facilities shall support India’ long-term Polar Research
Programme and global climate commitments by:
providing support for integrated scientific investigations across the Antarctic
and Arctic regions, while also complementing research efforts in the Himalayan
cryosphere and surrounding oceans.
providing advanced laboratory capabilities, infrastructure will enable
interdisciplinary studies in glaciology, climate science, polar biology,
atmospheric sciences, and oceanography, thereby reinforcing India’s capacity
to generate high-quality scientific knowledge on polar and cryospheric
processes.
systematically managing cryospheric sample repository that will ensure the
secure preservation of valuable samples collected from polar and high-altitude
environments. This strengthened repository will facilitate long-term
monitoring, comparative analyses, and future research, thereby expanding
opportunities for collaborative scientific investigations at national and
international levels.
Collectively, these facilities will play a pivotal role in advancing India’s long-term
Polar Research Programme, supporting evidence-based understanding of climate
variability and cryosphere dynamics. The strengthened research capacity will also
contribute meaningfully to India’s global climate commitments, including improved
climate observations, data sharing, and international scientific cooperation in
addressing the challenges posed by climate change.
(d) Yes Sir.
(e) India is significantly advancing its polar and ocean research through the 'Make in India'
initiative. Currently, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is building a new
Oceanographic Research Vessel (ORV) at the M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and
Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, with financial outlay of Rs 900 Crores and tentatively
scheduled for commissioning in early 2028. The vessel is designed to bolster marine
mineral exploration in the Indian Ocean region.
Additionally, the Ministry has received an in-principle approval to build a Polar
Research Vessel (PRV), an Oceanographic Research Vessel (ORV), and a Fishery
Oceanographic Research Vessel (FORV) with a financial outlay of Rs 4319.40 Crores.
As proposed, the vessels are planned to be inducted stage wise beginning in the year
2030. The PRV is envisioned to undertake multidisciplinary Annual Indian Scientific
Expeditions to Antarctic and Indian scientific endeavours in the polar and ocean realm
throughout the year, the ORV shall facilitate the oceanographic research operations,
throughout the year in Indian Ocean region and beyond, as replacement for the ageing
(40+ year old) vessel ORV Sagar Kanya and the FORV shall augment fishery research
operations, throughout the year in Indian Ocean region and beyond, as replacement for
the ageing (40+ year old) vessel FORV Sagar Sampada.
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