SAMUDRAYAAN MISSION

• Recently, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has launched India’s first manned ocean mission “Samudrayaan” in Chennai.
• With this Unique Ocean Mission, India joined the elite club of nations such as the US, Russia, France, Japan, and China to have niche technology and vehicles to carry out subsea activities.

Important points:

• It is India’s first unique manned ocean mission that aims to send men into the deep sea in a submersible vehicle for deep-ocean exploration and mining of rare minerals.
• It will send three persons in a manned submersible vehicle MATSYA 6000 to a depth of 6000 metres into the sea for deep underwater studies.
• Submarines go only about 200 metres.
• It is a part of the Rs 6000-crores Deep Ocean Mission

Significance:

• This will open up more growth avenues to explore ocean resources for clean energy, drinking water, and blue economy.
• Developed countries have already carried out similar ocean missions. India is the 1st country among the developing nations to carry out a deep ocean mission.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT