10.05.2024
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
For Prelims: About Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, Key facts about the Antarctic Treaty, Provisions of the treaty |
Why in the news?
The 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and the 26th Meeting of the Committee for Environment Protection (CEP) will be held in Kochi from May 20-30.
About Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting:
What is the CEP?
Key facts about the Antarctic Treaty:
○India’s first Antarctic research station, Dakshin Gangotri, was established in 1983.
○At present, India operates two year-round research stations: Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2012).
○The permanent research stations facilitate Indian Scientific Expeditions to Antarctica, which have been ongoing annually since 1981.
○In 2022, India enacted the Antarctic Act, reaffirming its commitment to the Antarctic Treaty.
Provisions of the treaty:
○Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only.
○Freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end… shall continue.
○Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available.
Source: Indian Express
With reference to Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), consider the following statements:
1. It safeguards Antarctica's fragile ecosystem and promotes scientific research in the region.
2. It is a biennial meeting held under the Antarctic Treaty System.
3. It is advised by the Committee for Environment Protection on environmental conservation in Antarctica.
How many of the above statements are correct?
A.Only one
B.Only two
C.All three
D.None
Answer B