(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) Operation Gangotri

(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) Operation Gangotri

(JANUARY-2024)

Operation Gangotri

• Members of India’s first expedition to Antarctica were felicitated at an ‘Antarctica Day event’.

Historical Background

• Celebrated on December 1 each year, Antarctica Day marks the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.
• In 1981 India decided to send its first scientific expedition to Antarctica.
• Marine biologist Dr. S Z Qasim headed the 21-member team, which travelled on a chartered Norwegian vessel called the Polar Circle.
• The historic expedition, code-named Operation Gangotri, was kept under wraps from the public, since the outcome was uncertain.

About the Operation

• Under Indira Gandhi, India began formulating its first strategies for Antarctica during the same time when the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea was being finalized.
• India launched its first Antarctic expedition in December 1981 from the shores of Goa, with a pit stop in Mauritius to pick up equipment and supplies.

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Courtesy: Science Reporter