Why is India taking keen interest in resources of Arctic Region ?
Approach · directive: “why”
What it asks · Explain the economic, strategic and scientific reasons behind India's interest in the Arctic and its resources.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- Why India is interested in Arctic resources: energy, minerals, fisheries and shipping routes
- Why the interest goes beyond resources: climate science, diplomatic standing and strategic balance, with the cautions that apply
Open with · As Arctic ice retreats, its oil, gas, minerals, fisheries and shipping routes are opening up, and India, an Arctic Council observer since 2013, wants a place in that future.
Cover
- Energy security: the Arctic may hold about 13 per cent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 per cent of its gas (USGS, 2008), valuable to an import-dependent India.
- Minerals and fisheries: rare earths and other minerals, and fish stocks, matter for industry and food security as the ice retreats.
- Trade routes: the Northern Sea Route and other Arctic passages could shorten shipping between Asia and Europe and cut transit time and cost.
- Climate science: Arctic warming affects sea level and weather patterns; India studies possible links with its monsoon and Himalayan glaciers at its Himadri station in Svalbard (since 2008).
- Diplomatic standing: Observer status at the Arctic Council (2013) and the Svalbard Treaty (1920), to which India is a party, give it a voice and access for research.
- Strategic balance: China and Russia are active in the region; a presence lets India watch developments and help shape rules on shipping and resource use.
- Cautions: fragile ecology, high costs and the need to follow UNCLOS and sustainable-use norms limit exploitation.
Close with · India's interest combines energy and trade needs, climate science and strategic presence, to be pursued within international law and with environmental care.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2018, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 223 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
As Arctic sea ice retreats, the region's oil, gas, minerals, fisheries and shipping lanes are opening up, and India, an Arctic Council observer since 2013, wants a stake.
Resource interests
- Energy security: the USGS (2008) estimated that the Arctic may hold about 13 per cent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 per cent of its undiscovered gas, a prize for an import-dependent economy.
- Minerals and fisheries: rare earths and other minerals, and fish stocks moving north as waters warm, matter for industry and food security.
- Shipping: the Northern Sea Route could shorten voyages between Asia and Europe, cutting time and cost for Indian trade.
Wider reasons
- Climate science: Arctic warming shapes sea-level rise and weather patterns; India's Himadri station in Svalbard (since 2008) studies possible links with the monsoon and Himalayan glaciers.
- Standing: as a party to the Svalbard Treaty (1920) and an Arctic Council observer, India can join research and help shape rules on shipping and resource use.
- Strategic balance: with China and Russia active in the Arctic, presence guards against exclusion from an emerging geopolitical theatre.
Cautions
- Fragile ecology, high costs and UNCLOS and sustainable-use norms mean India must engage as a responsible partner, not a mere resource-seeker.
India's Arctic interest fuses energy and trade needs with climate science and strategic presence, best pursued through science-led diplomacy within international law.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.