India should have a polar ambassador – parliamentary panel
India should consider appointing a “polar ambassador” to pursue “polar diplomacy” more effectively, a parliamentary panel has recommended.
“Creating such a position will not only help India project the importance given to these regions in its foreign policy architecture but will also help put across its policy stance in relation to polar areas/pursue polar diplomacy in a more effective manner,” lawmakers on the committee said.
A parliamentary panel in India is a small group of MPs that weighs in on bills and budgets, and the work of various ministries.
India established a scientific presence in Antarctica in 1982 and has three active research stations there now. New Delhi came out with an Arctic Policy in 2022.
The Arctic has become increasingly important for New Delhi amid the shipping disruptions in the Middle East caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran. India is considering increasing the use of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), also called the Arctic route, Russia’s minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, Alexey Chekunkov, said last month.
Russia is investing heavily in developing the NSR, which is the shortest shipping route between East Asia and Europe. Indian shipyards are in talks to build four non-nuclear icebreaker ships for Russia.
The committee noted that all Arctic Council member states, and most non-Arctic observer states have polar or Arctic ambassadors, and dedicated polar or Arctic affairs departments.
It recommended that the government enter into an agreement with Japan, Singapore and South Korea, which, along with India, are observers in the Arctic Council, to enhance Asia’s collective voice in the forum. Having a polar ambassador will also help India work toward getting full-member status of the council, it said.
An “Indian narrative of the Arctic” should be formulated to enhance New Delhi’s leadership position in the polar areas, it said, adding that the government should strengthen its role as a representative of the Global South to advocate their collective interests in the polar regions.
The panel led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also made a slew of other recommendations including that the government buy polar research vessels as the shortage of such ice-class vessels was impacting India’s polar research and other activities. It also said the Indian government should explore fishing in polar regions while taking into consideration the fragile ecology there.
“Being a country of more than 11,000 km long coastline and multiple islands, any sea level rise will have significant economic and strategic impact on India. Melting of sea ice surrounding Antarctica and Arctic will also have a significant impact on the Indian monsoon climate system,” the panel said.
