3 min readNew DelhiJul 31, 2026 12:04 AM IST
The Parliamentary committee on External Affairs in its report has recommended that India should appoint a Polar Ambassador and urged the government to seek “full-fledged membership” of the Arctic council so that India can engage in its activities more effectively.
India is currently one of the 13 observer countries of the Arctic Council, which comprises of 8 nations that have landmass in the region. The observer countries do not have decision making powers. They also can’t make financial contributions or undertake research in the arctic directly.
The committee, in its recommendations said: “…it is imperative that India also has such an Ambassador at a level equivalent to other countries exclusively to deal with polar regions. Creating such a position will not only help India project the importance given to these regions in its foreign policy architecture but will also help put across its policy stance in relation to polar areas or pursue polar diplomacy in a more effective manner.”
With several Russian research activities in the Artic region having been paused following the conflict with Ukraine, the committee recommended that India through its diplomatic channels impress upon the seven other countries of the need for having Russia on-board for the scientific work in the region which is experiencing drastic climate change — the impact of which will be felt across the globe.
The committee also recommended that government explore the possibility of accessing the Russian Arctic Research Stations.
The Ministry of Earth Science, which works on polar science, said: “India needs to work in Russian Arctic to have a wholesome idea of Arctic. The Arctic research station located in Chersky, Sakha in northeast Siberia is one of the world’s three largest Arctic stations which conducts research in Arctic biology, geophysics, and atmospheric physics and being located on frozen Pleistocene sediments that offer an excellent site for permafrost research.”
The committee also recommended that the government adopt a suitable strategy to further strengthen its role as a representative of the Global South. It also suggested a greater collaboration between the Asian observers in the Arctic Council in the form of a quadrilateral agreement with Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
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It also recommended that the artic policy be expanded from just science-oriented to geopolitics and strategy as well as the other countries were doing. The committee added that extraction of minerals for active pharmaceutical ingredients, components for air conditioners, and other critical minerals also become an important part of diplomatic dialogue in the region.