THE CONTEXT: The Ministry of Earth Science unveiled India’s Arctic Policy on 17 March 2022, titled “India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development”, with the aim of enhancing the country’s cooperation with the resource-rich and rapidly transforming region. The policy also seeks to combat climate change and protect the environment in the region, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. This article explains the need for an Arctic Policy for India, looks into the gaps in India’s present engagement in the Arctic, and analyses the features of India’s Arctic Policy released recently.

WHAT AND WHERE IS THE ARCTIC?

• It is commonly understood to refer to the region above the Arctic Circle, north of latitude 66° 34′ N, which includes the Arctic Ocean with the North Pole at its centre.
• The Arctic is a vast and varied region whose annual cycle is influenced by the strong variation in the amount of light. The further north you are, the more there are daylight hours in winter and nightless nights in summer. In the Arctic, winters are long, and the growing season is short. The Arctic land area comprises only about 5% of the land surface of Earth.
• The Arctic is home to almost four million inhabitants, of which approximately one-tenth are considered indigenous people.
• The Arctic Ocean and its surrounding landmass have been a topic of immense interest and a high-priority area of research among the global scientific fraternity, as well as of importance to policymakers.
• The Arctic influences the atmospheric, oceanographic and bio-geo-chemical cycles of the Earth’s ecosystem.

WHAT IS ARCTIC COUNCIL?

• The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic Indigenous peoples and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. It was formally established in 1996.
• It is not a treaty-based international legal entity like the UN organizations or trade or regional groupings such as NATO or ASEAN.
• It was set up by the 8 Arctic countries by means of the Ottawa Declaration of 1996. These countries are the US, Canada, Russia, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
• In addition to these countries, 6 organizations representing the indigenous people of the Arctic region have also been given the status of permanent participants.
• India holds one of the 13 positions as the Observer in the Arctic Council.

What is the observer status of the Council?

• The observer status is provided to countries or entities that support the objectives of the Arctic Council through financial or other contributions.
• Observers cannot participate in the decision-making process.
• They are invited to participate only in the meetings of the Council, particularly at the level of the working groups.
• The renewal of the observer status is just a formality. The status, once given, continues until the entity carries out any activities that run against the objectives of the Council.

INDIA’S JOURNEY AT THE ARCTIC COUNCIL

1920: India’s engagement with the Arctic began when it signed the Svalbard Treaty in Paris between Norway, the US, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Ireland, and the British overseas Dominions and Sweden concerning Spitsbergen.

2007: India initiated its Arctic research program in 2007 with a focus on climate change in the region.

2008: India established Himadri- India’s first permanent Arctic research station located at Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway.

2013: India was first granted the Observer status in 2013, along with five other nations.

2014: India deployed IndARC it is India’s first underwater moored observatory in the Arctic region 2014 at Kongsfjorden fjord, Svalbard, Norway. Its research goal is to study the Arctic climate and its influence on the monsoon.

2016: Another atmospheric laboratory was established in 2016 at Gruvebadet in Ny-Alesund with the aim of initiating studies on clouds, precipitation, long-range pollutants, and other background atmospheric parameters.

2019: India was re-elected as an Observer to the Arctic Council.

ABOUT: INDIA’S ARCTIC POLICY

India’s Arctic Policy aims to enhance the country’s cooperation with the resource-rich and rapidly transforming Arctic region. The policy also seeks to combat climate change and protect the environment in the region, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world. It was released by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

OBJECTIVES OF INDIA’S ARCTIC POLICY

• It aims to strengthen national capabilities and competencies in science and exploration, climate and environmental protection, and maritime and economic cooperation with the Arctic region.
• To strengthen institutional and human resource capacities within the government and academic, research and business institutions through inter-ministerial coordination in pursuit of India’s interests in the Arctic.
• To enhance understanding of the impact of climate change in the Arctic region on India’s climate, economic, and energy security.
• To promote better analysis, prediction, and coordinated policymaking on the implications of ice melting in the Arctic on India’s economic, military and strategic interests related to global shipping routes, energy security, and exploitation of mineral wealth.
• To study the linkages between polar regions and the Himalayas and deepen the cooperation between India and the countries of the Arctic region under various Arctic forums, drawing expertise from scientific and traditional knowledge.
• To increase India’s participation in the Arctic Council and improve understanding of the complex governance structures in the Arctic, relevant international laws, and geopolitics of the region.

RELEVANCE OF ARCTIC POLICY FOR INDIA?

The relevance of the Arctic for India can be broadly explained under three categories:

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• Under the banner of science and research, the Indian government hopes to build its research capabilities in the region by strengthening existing facilities, such as the Himadri Arctic station in Svalbard.
• It also hopes to align Indian research with international Arctic priorities. The policy further lays down plans to deploy space technology to better study the Arctic region.
  

 ECONOMIC AND HUMAN RESOURCES:

• The Arctic region has rich deposits of coal, gypsum and diamonds and also substantial reserves of zinc, lead, placer gold and quartz. Greenland alone possesses about a quarter of the world’s rare earth reserves.
• The Arctic contains a wealth of hydrocarbon resources.
• Arctic also has the potential to address India’s energy security needs and deficiency of strategic and rare earth minerals.

GEOPOLITICAL AND STRATEGIC:

• The Arctic region is significant due to the shipping routes that run through it.
• According to an analysis published by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, the adverse effects of the Arctic are not just impacting the availability of mineral and hydrocarbon resources but also transforming global shipping routes.
• According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India can play a constructive role in securing a stable Arctic.
• The region holds immense geopolitical importance as the Arctic is projected to be ice-free by 2050, and world powers are making a beeline to exploit the region rich in natural resources.

GAP IN INDIA’S APPROACH

LACK OF AN ARTICULATED POLICY: 

• Even though the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of the Government of India has listed India’s interests in the Arctic to be “scientific, environmental, commercial as well as strategic”, till recently, India was one among the four of the 13 Observer nations of the Arctic Council that did not have a nationally articulated Arctic Policy.

SCIENTIFIC ORIENTATION:

• India needs to go beyond the purely scientific approach in the Arctic. In keeping with its growing stature and consequent say in world affairs, India ought to be better equipped to understand the dynamics of the Arctic geo-politics and governance.

INADEQUATE FUNDING:

• Presently, India’s polar research for the Antarctic, Arctic, Southern Ocean and Himalayas is budgeted under the umbrella Polar Science and Cryosphere (PACER) programme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). Considering that India’s Antarctic Programme is about five times bigger than its Arctic programme.

POLAR RESEARCH VESSEL (PRV):

• The lack of a dedicated PRV is considered to be a serious impediment to the growth of India’s polar activities.

WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT FOCUS:

• Presently, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the MoES, is the nodal agency for India’s polar research programme, which includes Arctic studies.
• The MEA provides the external interface to the Arctic Council through the United Nations Economic & Social (UNES) Division.
• However, the eight countries of the Arctic Council are divided between the Americas, Eurasia and Central Europe Divisions, possibly preventing a region-wide focus on the fast-changing geophysical and geopolitical Arctic landscape.
• Further, there is no nodal body to coordinate all the activities of the Government of India relating to the Arctic region.

AWARENESS AND CAPACITY:

• The Arctic has largely been ignored in India on the ground that it is far away and does not have a direct impact on India. This has resulted in a lack of national capacity on Arctic issues.
• As the Arctic opens up, India needs to expand domestic capability and capacity by building a wide-ranging institutional base on Arctic maritime, legal, environmental, social, policy and governance issues.
• This can only happen through the introduction of an Arctic-related curriculum in our education system at all levels. India’s engagement with the Arctic needs to be built on sound augmentation of its domestic capacity.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Expand the capacity and awareness of Arctic-related scientific research by strengthening the NCPOR, involving other relevant academic and scientific institutions in India, identifying nodal institutes and promoting partnerships among institutions and agencies.
• Promote research capacities in Indian Universities in the fields of earth sciences, biological sciences, geosciences, climate change and space-related programmes relevant to the Arctic.
• Widen the pool of experts in sectors such as mineral, oil and gas exploration, blue-bio economy and tourism relevant to the Arctic.
• Strengthen training institutions for training seafarers in Polar/Ice-Navigation and build region-specific hydrographic capacity and skills necessary to undertake Arctic transits.
• Build indigenous capacity in building ships of Ice-class standards, including for research.
• Expand India’s trained manpower in maritime insurance, chartering, arbitration and brokerage for potential usage in the Arctic region.
• Build wide-ranging institutional capacity for the study of Arctic maritime, legal, environmental, social, policy and governance issues, including the application of UNCLOS and other Treaties governing the Arctic region.

THE CONCLUSION: India’s Arctic Policy is aimed to prepare the country for a future where the biggest challenges facing humankind, such as climate change, can be successfully addressed through, Collective will and effort. India can and is ready to play its part and contribute to the global good. Close partnership with countries of the Arctic region and other international partners to ensure sustainable development, peace and stability in the Arctic region will also be essential for the realization of India’s national development plans and priorities. This approach is in accordance with the challenges facing humankind, such as climate change, which can be successfully addressed only through the Indian philosophy of VasudhaivaKutumbakam-The world is one family.

 Questions for Mains:

1. India’s Arctic Policy is aimed to prepare the country for a future where the biggest challenge of climate change. Comment.
2. In the changing geopolitics, initiatives such as New Arctic Policy can be vital to address the emerging energy challenges experienced by India in the recent past. Explain.
3. How far do you agree with this view that India’s New Arctic is less about energy needs and more about being competitive in geopolitics? Justify your view.

THE CONTEXT: The 14^thannual bilateral summit between India and Japan has held in New Delhi in March 2022. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida participated in the summit. This article analyses the outcomes of the summit and the recent trajectory in India-Japan relations.

THE OUTCOMES OF THE SUMMIT

FOUR-POINT PLAN ON UKRAINE: India and Japan will:

• ‘not tolerate’ any unilateral and forceful change in the status quo of Ukraine or any country in the world,
• continue to push for a peaceful settlement of the conflict,
• jointly address the situation whenever needed, and
• work together in giving humanitarian aid and assistance to Ukraine.

ON INDO-PACIFIC:

• Both countries expressed their commitment to a free and peaceful Indo-Pacific. Moreover, the leaders showed their commitment to promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

ON QUAD:

• The two PMs affirmed the importance of bilateral and plurilateral partnerships among like-minded countries, including the QUAD grouping between India-Australia-Japan and the United States.

ON CHINA:

• India raises China-LAC standoff with Japan.
• Japan raised the matter of the East China Sea and the South China Sea with regard to China’s growing belligerence there.

ON TERRORISM:

• Both the countries expressed deep concern about the growing threat of terrorism and underlined the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism comprehensively and sustainably.

ON INVESTMENT:

• Japan’s PMannounced an investment to the tune of $42 billion (JPY 5 trillion) in India over the next five years.

LIST OF AGREEMENTS/MOUs SIGNED

INDIA -JAPAN RELATIONS: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• Begun in the 6th century when Buddhism was introduced to Japan.
• After World War II, in 1949, India started relations with Japan warmly.
• Japan and India signed a peace treaty and established diplomatic relations on 28th April 1952. This treaty was one of Japan’s first peace treaties after World War II.
• In the post-World War II period, India’s iron ore helped a great deal in Japan’s recovery from the devastation.
• Japan started providing yen loans to India in 1958, as the first yen loan aid extended by the Japanese government.
• The visit of then Japanese Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko in 1960 elevated the relations to a new level. A test of the reliability of Japan as a friend was witnessed in 1991 when Japan was among the few countries that bailed India out of the balance of payment crisis.

PROGRESS IN THE RECENT PAST

RECENT RELATIONS:

• Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s visit to India in 2000 provided momentum to strengthen the Japan-India relationship.
• In 2005, Japan-India annual summit started.
• In December 2006, the relationship was elevated to the “Global and Strategic Partnership”.
• In September 2014, upgrade the bilateral relationship to “Special Strategic and Global Partnership.”
• In 2015 both countries resolved to transform the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership into a deep, broad-based, action-oriented partnership, reflecting a broad convergence of their long-term political, economic, and strategic goals.
• The announcement “Japan and India Vision 2025 Special Strategic and Global Partnership Working Together for Peace and Prosperity of the Indo-Pacific Region and the World” started a new era in Japan-India relations.
• in October 2018, both countries reiterated their unwavering commitment to working together towards a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.
• In September 2021 both countries again concurred to further develop Japan-India relations and work closely toward the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

COOPERATION IN SECURITY FIELDS:

• In 2008, “the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and India” was issued.
• ‘2+2” meeting, annual Defense Ministerial Dialogue, and Coast Guard-to-Coast Guard dialogue.
• JIMEX, EX DHARMA GUARDIAN, SHINYUU Maitri, and Dharma Guardian are some military exercises between both countries. Apart from these, both countries are participatory in Malabar naval exercises.
• In September 2020, the Agreement concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces (so-called “Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement” or ACSA) was signed. ACSA came into force on July 11th, 2021

ECONOMIC RELATIONS:

• In recent years, the economic relationship between Japan and India has increased.
• India was the 18th largest trading partner for Japan, and Japan was India’s 12th largest trading partner in 2020.
• Japan was the 4th largest investor for India in FY2020.
• Japanese private-sector’s interest in India is rising, and, currently, about 1,455 Japanese companies have branches in India. Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, and Hitachi are some of the major Japanese companies operating in India.
• Currency Swap Arrangement of USD 75 billion between both countries.

ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE:

• India has been the largest recipient of Japanese (Official Development Assistance) ODA loans for the past decades.
• Delhi Metro is one of the most successful examples of Japanese cooperation.
• Japan continues to cooperate in supporting strategic connectivity linking South Asia to Southeast Asia through the synergy between the ”Act East” policy and ”Partnership for Quality Infrastructure.”
• Besides, Japan and India had committed to building a High-Speed Railway in India by introducing Japan’s Shinkansen System, the flagship project of Japan-India relations.

CULTURAL RELATIONS:

• The year 2022 marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and India. Various cultural events took place in Japan and India to promote mutual understanding between the two countries, under the theme of “Resurgent Japan, Vibrant India: New Perspectives, New Exchanges.”

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF JAPAN TO INDIA?

FINANCIAL:

• Japan has invested in the $90 billion Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (1,483km high-speed rail and road line), which will set up new cities, industrial parks, ports, and airports.
• It is also backing the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train service and has already released the first tranche of 5,500 crore rupees.
• Japan is the third-largest source of FDI ($28.160 billion between2000 June 2018) investment into India after Mauritius and Singapore.
• In Dedicated Freight Corridor, a project of close to Rs 50,000 crore of Japanese assistance has been about Rs 38,000 crore.
• A 75 Billion dollar currency swap agreement between countries is a significant step in enhancing economic ties.

DEFENCE:

• Japan is the most important partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Both countries are the part of QUAD group.
• After the joint army, navy, and air force exercises, the two nations are looking to allow their respective naval forces to use each other’s facilities.
• Both countries have conflicts with China and to counter its behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region, they need to continue helping each other.

TECHNOLOGY:

• The introduction of  Johkasou technology in India by Japanese companies for decentralized wastewater treatment will help in sewage water management.
• The Indian PM and the then PM of Japan Mr. Abe have also announced the launch of a new digital partnership that will cover Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).
• In 2018, when the Indian PM visited Japan, he made a trip to FANUC Corporation, one of the world’s largest makers of industrial robots.
• FANUC facility is important in the context of India’s move towards Industry 4.0.

INFRASTRUCTURE COOPERATION:

• In 2016, India and Japan announced joint projects in Africa as part of the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor; the main aim of this project is to counter the BRI influence in South Asia and Africa.
• Apart from it, there are many joint ventures between the two countries.

THE AREAS OF CONCERNS

TRADE BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES:

• Today, India-Japan trade languishes at around $18 billion, while Japan-China trade is around $300 billion.
• India’s major exports to Japan include petroleum products, organic chemicals, fish and aquatic invertebrates, natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, and machinery and mechanical appliances.
• India’s top import items from Japan are machinery and mechanical appliances, followed by electronics, iron and steel, plastics, copper, and its articles.

RELATIONSHIP CENTRED ON COUNTERING CHINA:

• Both countries have border issues with China. So the relations generally target China.
• It is interesting fact, that China is the biggest trading partner of Japan and India.

SECURITY TIES:

• In security ties, the Indo-Japanese relationship has remained below potential, and Japan does not accord due to importance to India in its security calculus.
• Japan has offered neither military hardware nor technology to India. There seems to be a difference in perceptions about China; Japan, while highlighting its own security concerns in the East and South China Seas, is seen to play down the multiple threats that India faces from China.
• Although both countries are members of QUAD and have 2+2 talks, there is a large scope to improve the security relations that are not developed as per the demand of time.

THE UKRAINE CRISIS:

• On the issue of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, while India took a neutral stance, Japan criticized the attack openly and followed NATO. This shows that despite being the partner of QUAD, both countries follow their independent foreign policy.
• During his visit, Japan’s Prime Minister pushed Narendra Modi to take a clear stance on Russia’s war on Ukraine. This shows a divergence between both countries but later, QUAD itself accepted India’s stand on the Ukraine-Russia war.

THE WAY FORWARD: HOW TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF INDIA-JAPAN RELATION?

SHOULD GO BEYOND COUNTERING CHINA:

• The Indo-Japan relations are oriented toward countering Chinese Influence in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea but now both the countries should go beyond.

SHOULD FOCUS ON THE BILATERAL TRADE:

• Both governments should focus on boosting trade which is standing at just $18 billion. It shows that bilateral trade needs to be increased.
• The scope in many areas for improving trade and the fourth industrial revolution can be a landmark in this regard.

LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COOPERATION:

• Japan gives India an opportunity to boost its relations with Indo-Pacific countries.
• There are many other areas providing opportunities such as the African continent through the Asia Africa Growth Corridor(AAGC) whose potential needs to be utilized and scaled up.

NEED STRONG SECURITY TIES:

• India and Japan are the members of Quad and India invited Japan in Malabar Naval Exercise but these are multi-country level ventures. Both counties should focus on their own security setup in their respective regions.
• As a significant naval power with a dominant peninsular location astride shipping lanes, India plays a major role in ensuring maritime security in the Indian Ocean and its environs.
• Close cooperation with a democratic India, located mid-way along trade routes connecting East Asia with the Middle East and Africa, would be advantageous to Japan.
• At the same time, a technologically deficient India has much to gain from a relationship with a country like Japan.

THE CONCLUSION: No doubt, India and Japan are among the most reliable partners in bilateral relations and Japan-India relations have evolved into an inclusive and multi-layered relationship based on cultural bonds, firm friendship, and common universal values. But, there is still scope for improving the bilateral relations which should be the agenda of their future relations.

Questions

1. ‘With strong India-Japan cooperation, 21^st century will be Asia’s century. Analyze the scope for India-Japan relations in changing geopolitical scenarios.
2. Highlight the importance of strong India- Japan relations for a free and secure Indo-Pacific.
3. ‘Without enhancing trade relations, India and Japan would not be able to counter China’s influence in Indo-pacific’. Critically Analyze.