The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by PM Narendra Modi on June 16, 2021, accepted the recommendation of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) on the ‘Deep Ocean Mission’, which intends to examine the deep ocean for sources and develop deep-sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean resources.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology and Earth Sciences said even private institutions will be requested in the development manner of technologies for the purpose to examine the possibilities of mining, energy, biodiversity, freshwater, etc in the deep ocean and to promote the Blue Economy Initiatives of the Indian Government.
The Deep Ocean Mission will be executed in a phase-wise manner at a cost of Rs 4,077 crores for 5 years from 2021 to 2026. The first phase of the mission from 2021 to 2024 is estimated to cost Rs 2,823.4 crores.
What is the Deep Ocean Mission?
•Deep Ocean Mission is leadership by the Government of India to examine the deep ocean for sources and advance deep-sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean resources.
The Mission will send a manned submersible ‘Matsya-6000’ up to a depth of 6,000 metres in the ocean with three people aboard. The submersible will be provided with technologies such as scientific sensors, and tools for deep-sea mining, research of deep-sea marine biodiversity and mineral resources.
•The manned submersible ‘Matsya-6000’ has been outlined by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in an MoU signed with the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) which is qualified for the navigation and electronics features of the submersible.
