India to undertake scientific mission to North Pole
By siliconindia   |   Monday, 05 March 2007, 18:30 IST
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NEW DELHI: India's 25-year-old polar science programme will get a bipolar perspective soon, with the Minister for Earth Science Kapil Sibal announcing that the country's maiden scientific mission to the North Pole to study the phenomenon of climate change will kick start their long-term research programme in the Arctic region this year itself. This comes on the heels of a token provision of one crore rupees made available for the Arctic expedition the next financial year. The Ministry of Earth Sciences has firmed up plans to carry out extensive research in the Arctic region over the next five years and has also sought funds for the purpose in the 11th plan The program is collaboration between scientists from the Goa-based National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, and the Norwegian Polar Research Institute. Indian scientists are keen to work on collecting and interpreting data on atmospheric sciences, space weather, glaciology including sea ice and marine sciences from the Arctic region. Under the arctic research programme, Indian scientists are expected to carry out research in the Svalbard region, where Norway has an international research facility. While Indian scientists have been carrying out research in the Antarctica region for the last 25 years; India has two research stations on the icy continent -- Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri -- and is at an advanced stage of finalizing plans for a third research facility in the Larsemann hills region, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has firmed up plans to carry out extensive research in the Arctic region over the next five years and has also sought funds for the purpose under the 11th plan.

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