Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Global Ocean Commission grants licences for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.
- 2.India has received licences for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.
- 3.‘Rare earth minerals’ are present on seafloor in international waters.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Statements 2 and 3 are correct. Seabed exploration rights in international waters come from the International Seabed Authority, not from the Global Ocean Commission, which was only an independent advisory body.
- ✗ 1. The Global Ocean Commission (launched 2013) was an independent international commission working on threats to the high seas; it issues no licences. Exploration areas are allocated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), set up under UNCLOS.
- ✓ 2. India holds ISA exploration rights over 75,000 sq. km of the Central Indian Ocean Basin for polymetallic nodules, and a later ISA contract for polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean.
- ✓ 3. Polymetallic nodules lying on the deep seafloor, including in the Central Indian Ocean Basin, carry rare earth elements alongside nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese.
Remember · The International Seabed Authority, not the Global Ocean Commission, licenses seabed exploration beyond national jurisdiction; India holds ISA contracts for nodules and sulphides.
Sources
- PIB: India's exclusive rights to explore polymetallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean Basin extended ↗ “These rights are over 75000 sq. km of area in international waters allocated by International Seabed Authority for developmental activities for polymetallic nodules.”
- International Seabed Authority: Polymetallic nodules ↗ · reference work “The trace metal contents such as Ni, Cu, Co and Mn and rare earth elements are attracting interest to mine these deposits to meet the growing demand for these metals.”
- UNEP: Global Ocean Commission press release ↗ “The Global Ocean Commission ( www.globaloceancommission.org ), launched in February 2013, is an independent international commission addressing the principal threats facing the global ocean, and in particular the high seas.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·