Dr. Jitendra Singh Honours International Trainees on Deep-Sea Mineral Exploration

During the ceremony, Dr Singh encouraged the trainees to remain focused on sustainability, conservation, and cooperative frameworks for future exploration activities.

Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences, Science and Technology, and Atomic Energy, Dr Jitendra Singh, honoured 21 international trainees nominated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) headquarters in New Delhi on November 6, 2024. The ceremony celebrated the successful completion of two months of intensive training focused on deep-sea mineral exploration, specifically on polymetallic nodules (PMN) and polymetallic sulphides (PMS), as part of India’s commitment to sustainable exploration and capacity building for developing nations.

Collaborative Training to Enhance Global Deep-Sea Mineral Expertise

In line with India’s ongoing ISA contracts, the training commenced in September 2024, aiming to bolster international cooperation in the field of deep-sea exploration. Trainees from diverse countries—including Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Madagascar, and Jamaica—benefited from hands-on training conducted by India’s premier MoES institutions: the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, which led at-sea exploration training, and the National Centre for Ocean and Polar Research (NCPOR), Goa, which provided on-land training in mineral identification and collection techniques.

During the ceremony, Dr Singh encouraged the trainees to remain focused on sustainability, conservation, and cooperative frameworks for future exploration activities. He underscored the importance of progressive regulatory standards and innovation-driven collaborations, particularly as global interest in deep-sea minerals grows. Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary of MoES, also lauded the program's success, noting India’s commitment to fostering international expertise in sustainable deep-sea mineral exploration.

Comprehensive Academic Support and Capacity Building

The training initiative included academic and technical support from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) institutions—the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa and the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) in Bhubaneswar. Trainees further gained insights through visits to other MoES institutes, such as the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in Hyderabad, the National Centre for Earth System Sciences (NCESS) in Thiruvananthapuram, and the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) in Kochi.

India's Role in Sustainable Mineral Exploration with ISA

As the nodal agency for India’s deep-sea mineral exploration, MoES oversees PMN and PMS activities under ISA’s regulatory framework. The ISA, established in 1994 and headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica, operates under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to manage and regulate mineral activities on the international seabed, balancing resource exploration with environmental preservation.

Dr. Singh's participation and felicitation of the ISA-nominated trainees reinforce India’s dedication to fostering sustainable practices in marine science, benefiting global stakeholders while prioritizing ocean health and international collaboration.