The Indian Antarctic Programme is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional programme under the control of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica.Walawalkar (2015), Gad (2008) The programme gained global acceptance with India's signing of the Antarctic Treaty and subsequent construction of the Dakshin Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983, superseded by the Maitri base from 1989. The newest base commissioned in 2012 is Bharati, constructed out of 134 shipping containers. Under the programme, atmospheric, biological, earth, chemical, and medical sciences are studied by India, which has carried out 40 scientific expeditions to the Antarctic.

History

The origin of the Indian missions to the Antarctic are traced to the joint Indian Space Research Organisation – Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia agreements, which led to Indians, such as Dr. Parmjit Singh Sehra, joining the 17th Soviet Antarctic expedition of 1971–1973,Anas (2007) Parmjit Singh Sehra - With rockets to India's Antarctic Program (in References).

India officially acceded to the Antarctic Treaty System on 1 August 1983. On 12 September 1983, the country became the fifteenth Consultative Member of the Antarctic Treaty.Department of Ocean Development, Government of India. Annual Report 1983-1984, TECHNICAL PUBLICATION NO. 3., Printed at Dee Kay Printers Kirtinagar, New Delhi

Organization

The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research—a research and development body functioning under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India—controls the Indian Antarctic Programme.Gad (2008) The NCPOR and the Department of Ocean Development select the members for India's Antarctic expeditions. After medical tests and subsequent acclimatisation training at the Himalayas, these selected members are also trained in survival, environment ethics, firefighting and operating in a group.

One expedition costs up to . Logistical support to the various activities of the Indian Antarctic Programme is provided by the relevant branches of the Indian armed forces. The launching point of Indian expeditions has varied from Goa in India to Cape Town in South Africa on 19th expedition during the time of NCAOR Founding Director Dr. P C Pandey in December 1999. Over 70 institutes in India contributed to its Antarctic Programme as of 2007.

Global cooperation

The Indian Antarctic Programme is bound by the rules of the Antarctic Treaty System, which India signed in 1983. Pandey (2007) outlines the various international activities that India has undertaken as a part of its Antarctic Programme:

India also collaborates with the international community as a member of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Regional Committee of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission in Coastal Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO), International Seabed Authority (ISBA), and the State Parties of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).Pursuit and Promotion of Science – The Indian Experience (2001), 351Walawalkar (2005)

Research

Antarctica holds scientific interest for global research projects due to a number of reasons: 'Origin of continents, climate change, meteorology and pollution' are among the reasons cited by S.D. Gad (2008). Mrinalini G. Walawalkar (2005) holds that: 'ice–ocean interaction and the global processes; paleoenvironment and paleoclimatic studies; geological evolution of earth and Gondwanaland reconstruction; Antarctic ecosystems, biodiversity and environment physiology; solar terrestrial processes and their coupling; medical physiology, adaptation techniques and human psychology; environment impact assessment and monitoring; enabling low temperature technology development; and studies on earthquakes' are among the areas of study under the Indian Antarctic Programme.

Close to 1,300 Indians had been to the continent as of 2001 as a part of the country's Antarctic Programme. Indian expeditions to the Antarctic also study the fauna and the molecular biodiversity of the region.Pursuit and Promotion of Science – The Indian Experience (2001), 173Pursuit and Promotion of Science – The Indian Experience (2001), 213 A total of 120 new microbes had been discovered as a result of international scientific effort in the Antarctic by 2005. 30 of these microbes had been discovered by Indian scientists. India has also published over 300 research publications based on Antarctic studies as of 2007.

The 'ice cores' retrieved by drilling holes in Antarctic's vast ice-sheets yield information 'on the palaeoclimate and eco-history of the earth as records of wind-blown dust, volcanic ash or radioactivity are preserved in the ice as it gets accumulated over time'. The NCAOR developed a polar research & development laboratory with a 'low-temperature laboratory complex at −20 °C for preservation and analysis of ice core and snow samples' according to S.D. Gad (2008). The 'ice core' samples are held, processed, and analysed in containment units designed by such technology. Storage cases made of poly propylene also ensure that the samples do not alter characteristics and are preserved for analysis in the form that they were recovered.

Research stations In 1981 the Indian flag unfurled for the first time in Antarctica, marking the start of Southern Ocean expeditions under the environmental protocol of the Antarctic Treaty (1959).

Dakshin Gangotri

The first permanent settlement was built in 1983 and named Dakshin Gangotri. In 1989 it was excavated and is being used again as supply base and transit camp. Dakshin Gangotri was decommissioned in the year 1990 after half of it got buried under the ice. It is nothing more than a historical site now. In its times, it used to double up as a place for multiple support systems, including the presence of an ice-melting plant, laboratories, storage, accommodation, recreation facilities, a clinic and also a bank counter.

Maitri

The second permanent settlement, Maitri, was put up in 1989 on the Schirmacher Oasis and has been conducting experiments in geology, geography and medicine. India built this station close to a freshwater lake around Maitri known as Lake Priyadarshini. Maitri accomplished the mission of geomorphologic mapping of Schirmacher Oasis.

Bharati

Located beside Larsmann Hill at 69°S, 76°E, Bharati is established in March 2012. This newest research station for oceanographic research will collect evidence of continental break-up to reveal the 120-million-year-old ancient history of the Indian subcontinent. In news sources this station was variously spelled "Bharathi", "Bharti""Bharti to be 3rd Indian station in Antarctica", The Times of India, 6 August 2009 and "Bharati".

India Post Office in Antarctica It was established in the year 1984 during the third Indian expedition to Antarctica. It was located at Dakshin Gangotri. As many as 10,000 letters were posted and cancelled in this post office in total in the first year of its establishment. Although the post office is no more there, it is a favourite stopover for Indian tourists who visit the place in cruise ships.

The current Indian post office in Antarctica is situated at Maitri, where the country's current research station is also situated.

Air Support Operations

The Indian Air Force has supported logistical operations in Antarctica, including air-dropping critical supplies to research teams in remote camps. In the 1980s and 1990s, IAF’s Helicopters—most notably the Mi-8 played a role in delivering equipment and airdropping scientists and material near Indian research stations. IAF aircrew flying these missions was referred to as "Flyboys in the land of flightless penguins", a nod to the extreme flying conditions and novelty of these high-latitude operations.

Indian Antarctic expeditions

Date Expedition Leader Deputy LeaderLeader (Summer Team)Deputy Leader (Summer Team) 1981–1982 First Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr. Sayed Zahoor Qasim C. P. Vohra, Dr. B. N. Desai, H. N. Siddiquie 1982–1983 Second Indian Expedition to Antarctica V. K. Raina Dr C. R. Sreedharan 1983–1985 Third Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr Harsh K. Gupta Lieutenant Colonel Satya Swarup Sharma 1984 Fourth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr B.B. Bhattacharya Col. P. Kumaresh1985-86 Fifth Indian Expedition to Antarctica M.K. Kaul Dr Vinod K Dhargalkar1986-87 Sixth Indian Expedition to AntarcticaDr A M ParulekarCol. V.S.Iyer (V.S.M) 1987-1989 Seventh Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr R. Sen Gupta Col P Ganeshan Dr G. S. Mittal 1988–1990 Eighth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr Amitava Sen Gupta Col S Jagannathan Lt Col J P Khadilkar 1989–1991 Ninth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Rasik Ravindra 1990–1992 Tenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr A. K. Hanjura 1991–1993 Eleventh Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr Shardendu Mukherjee1992-94 Twelfth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr Vinod K Dhargalkar1993-95 Thirteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica G Sudhakar Rao 1994-96 Fourteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr S D Sharma 1995-1996 Fifteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Arun Chaturvedi 1996-98 Sixteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr Anand L. Koppar 1997-99 Seventeenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica K. R. Shivan 1998-2000 Eighteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Ajay Dhar 1999-2001 Nineteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Arun Chaturvedi M. Javed Beg 2000-2003 Twentieth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Marvin D'Souza 2001–2003 Twenty first Indian Expedition to Antarctica Ram Prasad Lal 2002-04 Twenty Second Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr Arun Hanchinal 2003-05 Twenty third Indian Expedition to Antarctica S. Jayaram 2004-06 Twenty fourth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Rajesh Asthana M. Javed Beg 2005-2007 Twenty fifth Indian Expedition to Antarctica L. Prem Kishore Twenty sixth Indian Expedition to AntarcticaMr Jayapaul D Twenty seventh Indian Expedition to AntarcticaMr Arun Chaturvedi 2008–2009 Twenty eighth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr. P. Malhotra Ajay Dhar 2009–2010 Twenty ninth Indian Expedition to Antarctica P. Elango Rajesh Asthana 2010–2011 Thirtieth Indian Expedition to Antarctica K. Jeeva Rajesh Asthana 2011–2012 Thirty first Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr. Rupesh M. Das (Bharati) & Shree Uttam Chand (Maitri) Rajesh Asthana 2013–2014 Thirty third Indian Expedition to Antarctica Mohd. Yunus Shah (Bharati) Abhijit Patil (Bharati) 2014–2015 Thirty fourth Indian Expedition to Antarctica Kailash Bhindwar (Bharati) Syed Shadab (Bharati) 2017–2018 Thirty seven Indian Expedition to Antarctica Dr. Shailesh Pednekar (Bharati) Bagati Sudarshan Patro (Bharati) 2018–2020 38th Indian Expedition to Antarctica K. Jeeva, Matri- P. Elengo, Bharati2019-202039th Indian Expedition to AntarcticaShri Deepak Gajbhiye (Maitri) - Shri Debdip Chakraborty (Bharati) - Dr Shailendra Saini (Voyage Leader)2020-202140th Indian Expedition to AntarcticaDr Yogesh Ray (Voyage leader) - Mr Ravindra S. More (Maitri) - Mr Atul Kulkarni (Bharati)2021-2241st Indian Expedition to AntarcticaMr Huidram Singh (Maitri) - Mr Anoop K Soman (Bharati) - Dr.Shailendra Saini (Voyage Leader) 2022-2342nd Indian Expedition to AntarcticaMr Arun Sable (Maitri) - Mr Pranjal Saikia (Bharati) - Mr Mohammad Sadiq (Voyage Leader)

Notes

References Gad, S. D. (2008), "India in the Antarctic", Current Science, 95 (2): 151, Bangalore: Indian Academy of Sciences. Pandey, P.C. (2007) in "India: Antarctic Program", Encyclopedia of the Antarctic edited by Beau Riffenburgh, pp. 529–530, Abingdon and New York: Taylor & Francis, . Pursuit and Promotion of Science – The Indian Experience (2001), New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy. Walawalkar, M. G. (2005), "Antarctica and Arctic: India's contribution", Current Science, 685, Bangalore: Indian Academy of Science.

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