PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPACT AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE DEEP OCEAN MISSION

The Deep Ocean Mission (DOM), launched by the Government of India in 2021, is a flagship initiative focused on exploring and harnessing ocean living and non-living resources for India's Blue Economy. It encompasses six verticals, including the development of deep-sea mining technologies, human submersibles (like MATSYA-6000), ocean climate change advisory services, deep-sea biodiversity exploration and conservation, deep-ocean surveys, energy and freshwater from the ocean (e.g., OTEC), and an Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology. Notable achievements include the design completion and trials of MATSYA-6000, successful demonstration of deep-sea nodule collection, development of ocean climate models, isolation of deep-sea microbes, discovery of new deep-sea species, identification of hydrothermal vent fields, and progress on an OTEC desalination plant and a new ocean research vessel. The mission also involves adherence to stringent environmental safeguards under the International Seabed Authority's draft Mining Code.