The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Indian Antarctica Bill, 2022 amidst clamour from the Opposition to have more discussion.
There were no amendments to the text of the Bill that was passed after a voice vote. Earth Sciences Minister, Jitendra Singh, said that such a law was necessary under India’s obligations as a signatory to the Antarctic Treaty of 1963.
The key objectives of the Treaty are to demilitarise Antarctica, establish it as a zone free of nuclear tests and the disposal of radioactive waste, and to ensure that it is used for peaceful purposes only; to promote international scientific cooperation in Antarctica and to set aside disputes over territorial sovereignty.
