India gets license to scour Indian Ocean for precious metals
Why it matters?
India has bagged this exploration contract from the International Seabed Authority (ISA). This is the first licence granted globally for exploring polymetallic sulphur nodules in the Carlsberg Ridge.
What you should know?
International Seabed Authority
An autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Headquarters: Kingston, Jamaica
Mandate: To regulate mining and related activities in the international seabed beyond national jurisdiction.
Polymetallic sulphur nodules
They are concentrations of rock found in the deep ocean and said to be rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper.
The Carlsberg Ridge
It is a mid-oceanic ridge with a 3,00,000-sq.km stretch that lies in the northwest Indian Ocean.
It forms the boundary between the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates.