Deep Ocean Mission and Ecological Governance

Gist India is rapidly advancing its deep-sea exploration capabilities under the Deep Ocean Mission, discovering significant mineral deposits and new marine species in the Indian Ocean. This technological leap has sparked a critical debate on whether the ability to extract deep-sea minerals should automatically translate into commercial mining. For a civil services aspirant, this development highlights the classic tension between securing critical minerals for renewable energy transitions and preserving fragile, poorly understood marine ecosystems, emphasizing the need for ecological governance over blind exploitation. Background The International Seabed Authority ISA , an autonomous body established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNCLOS 1982 , mandates and regulates mineral-related activities in the international seabed area beyond national jurisdiction. India's Deep Ocean Mission DOM , spearheaded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, aims to explore the deep ocean for resources and develop deep-sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean resources. Before these recent technological demonstrations, deep-sea mining was largely theoretical; however, successful tests of mining machines and submersibles mean India is now on the verge of possessing the…