Current Context: The Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, inaugurated two state-of-the-art facilities—Sagar Bhavan and Polar Bhavan—at the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Vasco da Gama, Goa.

About NCPOR:

• Established:1998 as an autonomous R&D institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Formerly Known As:National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR).
• Location:Vasco da Gama, Goa.
• Nodal Agency:For planning and executing polar expeditions in the Antarctic, Arctic, Southern Ocean, and Himalayas.
• Research Coordination:Oversees scientific research and logistics in polar and oceanic domains.

India’s Expanding Polar Footprint:

 Research Stations Maintained by NCPOR:

Antarctica:

• Maitri and Bharati stations.

Arctic:

• Himadri station in Svalbard, Norway.

Himalayas:

• Himansh station in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.