Evolution of India’s Polar Policies

As the Polar Regions become pivotal to global politics, is India doing enough to keep up the momentum? This inquiry lies at the heart of Evolution of India’s Polar Policies, authored by Jawahar Bhagat and Anurag Bisen. The book is a rare academic contribution that provides an integrated assessment of India’s polar engagements in both the Arctic and Antarctica. Moving beyond conventional scientific and moralistic perspectives, it presents a distinctive blend of strategic insight and policy analysis through geopolitical, geo-economic and security-oriented lenses.

The first chapter explores the Arctic as a new strategic area for countries, having immense opportunities and intense competition. It also draws attention to India’s relatively limited presence in the region. The second chapter examines India’s engagements in Antarctica and traces it’s evolution from a moral advocate raising the Antarctic question in the UN to an active strategic participant since 1981. Nonetheless, the authors express reservations over India’s 2022 Antarctic Act, contending it lacks a strategic and national security scope.