Mining of Polymetallic Nodules (PMN)
You cannot just mine anywhere in search of PMN. You are authorised to mine only certain locations. Those countries which intend to step ahead on PMN mining need to get approvals from the ISA which was established under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).
India gained Pinoor investor status in 1987 and indeed was the first country with such recognition. For mining PMN, India was assigned an area of 1.5 lakh sq. Kilometer that time. But in 2002, India was assigned 75,000 sq. Kilometer area after a resource analysis conducted by ISA.
There is a certain conclusion drawn after the research conducted by the Ministry of Earth Science. Here is the conclusion:
- PNM that can be found: 880 MT (approx.)
- Cobalt: 0.55 MT (approx.)
- Copper: 4.29 MT (approx.)
- Magnesium: 92.59 MT (approx.)
- Nickel: 4.7 MT (approx.)
Deep Ocean Mission
We, humans, are highly inquisitive beings. Our journey to exploring this planet has no end. We have made immense progress in exploring space, but the world underwater remained untouched for long. It was only recently that a mission was launched to explore the world underneath, and efforts are being made to support the blue economy initiatives of the GOI. Deep Ocean Mission is an ambitious mission of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.