In July 2014 Indian scientists anchored a string of ocean sensors in a fjord far north of Norway. It was India’s first multi-sensor moored observatory in the Arctic, and it is called IndARC. Learn what it measures and who built it. See why a fixed observatory beats a ship in winter. Then see how UPSC tested it in 2015.
Contents
- What is IndARC meant to do?
- Which fjord holds it?
- Who built it, and when did it go in the water?
- Which readings does it record?
- Why keep instruments there all year?
- How is Himadri different from IndARC?
- Do Arctic changes matter for the Indian monsoon?
- How did UPSC ask about it in 2015?
- 5 understanding checks
- Questions to think through
- Related lessons
- 7 practice MCQs
Must know: what IndARC is and where it sits
What is IndARC, and what is it meant to do?
IndARC is an underwater observatory that India placed in the Arctic Ocean. It is not a building, a ship or a satellite. It is a set of instruments anchored to the seabed. The instruments hang at fixed depths in the water and record data all year.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) calls it “the country’s first multi-sensor moored observatory”. The word “moored” means held in place by an anchor, like a boat at a dock.
What is it for?
- It collects continuous data on seawater temperature, salinity and current.
- It helps scientists see how the Arctic responds to changes in climate.
- It is meant to help study how Arctic processes may influence the Indian monsoon, through climate models.
Why does this matter to India?
The Arctic Ocean helps govern the Earth’s climate. A peer-reviewed paper on IndARC calls the Arctic Ocean “a significant gap in ocean observations”.
What is IndARC not?
UPSC listed three wrong ideas in 2015. IndARC is not a radar system for the Indian defence forces. It is not a satellite for Indian Ocean Rim countries. It is not a research base in Antarctica.
Sources: PIB, India deploys its first sub-surface moored observatory in the Arctic, 1 Aug 2014. Also: Venkatesan et al., Indian moored observatory in the Arctic, 2016 (abstract).
Which fjord holds IndARC, and why was it chosen?
IndARC sits in Kongsfjorden. A fjord is a long, narrow arm of the sea with steep sides. Kongsfjorden is in Svalbard, which belongs to Norway.
Where exactly is it?
- Kongsfjorden lies roughly halfway between Norway and the North Pole, says PIB.
- The observatory is anchored near 78°57′ N and 12°01′ E.
- PIB puts it about 1,100 km from the North Pole.
- Ny-Ålesund, also in Svalbard, is where India has its Himadri station.
Why this fjord?
PIB calls Kongsfjorden “an established reference site for the Arctic marine studies”. It adds that the fjord has been seen as a natural laboratory for Arctic climate variability.
A scientific review explains the reason. Kongsfjorden is influenced by both Atlantic and Arctic water masses. Large glaciers also feed it. So the fjord is a useful place to watch ocean and ice change.
Who else works there?
Ny-Ålesund is a centre for international Arctic research. Kings Bay AS, which runs the settlement, says it works as a facilitator for the research station there. So India’s scientists share the site with international research teams.
Sources: PIB, site and depth of the Kongsfjorden mooring. Also: Hop et al., Polar Research 2002, the Kongsfjorden marine ecosystem; Kings Bay AS, welcome to Ny-Ålesund. Also: NCPOR, Himadri station page.
Who built IndARC, and when did it go into the water?
Indian government institutes built and installed it. Norway helped with the ship and the local support.
Who were the partners?
- ESSO-NCAOR and ESSO-NIOT sent the team that deployed it, says PIB.
- NIOT is the National Institute of Ocean Technology.
- INCOIS, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, also helped design and develop it.
- The Ministry of Earth Sciences developed IndARC.
The 2016 paper calls the system “indigenously designed and installed”.
What did Norway do?
The Norwegian Polar Institute’s research vessel, R.V. Lance, carried and dropped the mooring. This happened during its yearly MOSJ-ICE cruise. PIB thanks the Institute for technical and logistics support. It calls this a good example of India-Norway co-operation on climate change.
What is the timeline?
- 23 July 2014: the first mooring, IndARC-I, was deployed.
- 15 July 2015: Indian scientists retrieved it. It had recorded data from July 2014 to mid-2015.
- 19 July 2015: IndARC-II went back in the water at the same place, with new sensors.
- 2019: a later set-up, called IndARC-5 in one record, was in use.
The Svalbard research catalogue lists the mooring as operational. So IndARC is not a one-year trial.
What should you remember?
The exam fact is simple. IndARC was deployed in 2014 in the Arctic by Indian scientists.
Sources: PIB, the 2014 deployment team and the Norwegian vessel; NCPOR, IndARC multisensor mooring page. Also: SIOS Svalbard, Mooring IndARC record; Venkatesan et al., 2016 (abstract).
Good to know: what it measures and why
What does IndARC measure?
IndARC measures the sea, not the air. The Ministry says it records seawater temperature, salinity, current and other vital parameters of the fjord.
How many sensors does it carry?
PIB says the array had ten sensors at set depths. NCPOR’s page lists sensors from 15 m down to 120 m for the first mooring.
Which instruments are on it?
- A CTD measures conductivity, temperature and depth.
- A fluorometer records fluorescence in the water.
- A dissolved oxygen sensor records oxygen.
- A nutrient sensor and a PAR sensor record nutrients and light for plants.
- A current meter and an upward-looking ADCP record water currents.
What was added later?
IndARC-II carried new sensors for fluorescence, light, nitrate and ambient noise. The Svalbard catalogue lists hourly data and yearly maintenance by NIOT. It also lists a carbon dioxide sensor run with the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Does it measure ice?
The sources do not list an ice sensor. IndARC records the water. Scientists then link those readings to ice melt. The Ministry says the mooring measures ocean properties to understand changes caused by melting Arctic ice.
How deep is the seabed there?
Sources differ a little. PIB says 192 m. NCPOR says about 180 m. Treat the depth as about 200 m or a little less.
Sources: PIB, ten sensors and the data they collect; NCPOR, sensor depths and IndARC-II additions. Also: SIOS Svalbard, variables and maintenance for IndARC; PIB, Rajya Sabha reply on Arctic studies, 13 Feb 2025.
Why leave instruments in the sea all year?
A ship visit gives a snapshot. A mooring gives a film. That difference is the whole reason for IndARC.
What problem did scientists face?
PIB explains the problem. NCAOR had monitored the fjord since 2010. It measured temperature, salinity, nutrients and life in the water during spring, summer and fall. Reaching the site in the harsh Arctic winter was hard.
So the winter months were missing. Near-surface data was also hard to get.
How does a mooring fix this?
- It stays at one place and records on its own.
- It collects continuous data from near the surface and from set depths.
- It keeps recording with no ship on site. NIOT services it once a year, says the Svalbard catalogue.
What did scientists want to learn?
PIB says they needed continuous watch on water moving into the inner fjord. They wanted to know how the fjord responds to exchanges with the shelf and the deep sea over a full year.
Why is the Arctic worth watching?
The peer-reviewed paper says the Arctic Ocean helps govern the Earth’s climate. It also says the ocean records past climate history.
Sources: PIB, the winter-access problem and the continuous-data goal; Venkatesan et al., why the Arctic Ocean matters (abstract).
How do Himadri and IndARC differ?
Students mix them up because both are Indian Arctic sites in Svalbard. They are different things.
What is Himadri?
- Himadri means “the abode of snow”.
- It is India’s first research station at the International Arctic Research base in Ny-Ålesund.
- It is about 1,200 km from the North Pole.
- Kapil Sibal inaugurated it on 1 July 2008.
- It gives field and lab support for Arctic research.
NCPOR says it was opened because Indian scientists had shown sustained interest in Arctic studies.
How do the two compare?
| Point | Himadri | IndARC |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Land research station | Underwater moored observatory |
| Place | Ny-Ålesund, on land | Inner Kongsfjorden, under the sea |
| Start | Inaugurated 1 July 2008 | Deployed 23 July 2014 |
| Job | Lab and field base for scientists | Continuous ocean readings |
Who runs them?
The Ministry of Earth Sciences works through NCPOR. A 2025 Rajya Sabha reply says NCPOR runs the Indian Arctic expeditions and manages Himadri. The same reply says India deployed a mooring called IND-Arc in inner Kongsfjorden.
Has the base grown?
The reply says India began regular winter expeditions in December 2023. It says Himadri has been occupied for more than 300 days since then.
Are the Arctic and Antarctic programmes the same?
No. NCPOR’s website lists Antarctica and the Arctic as separate expedition programmes. Himadri belongs to the Arctic one.
Sources: NCPOR, Himadri station, inauguration and distance; PIB, Parliament question on scientific studies in the Arctic, 2025. Also: NCPOR, expedition menu on the IndARC page.
Great to know: the monsoon link and the UPSC question
Do changes in the Arctic matter for the Indian monsoon?
The government says yes, and it is a main reason for India’s Arctic science. Read the wording with care.
What did the Ministry say in 2014?
PIB wrote that IndARC data would help in “our understanding of the Arctic processes and their influence on the Indian monsoon system”. It said this would happen through climate modelling studies. So the claim was a goal of the project. It was not a result.
What did the Ministry say in 2025?
In a Rajya Sabha reply, the Ministry said several studies link Arctic sea ice and Arctic temperatures to the Indian monsoon. It named two kinds of link, atmospheric and oceanic. It called these links “teleconnections”.
The Ministry uses “teleconnections” for these links between Arctic changes and the monsoon.
What does IndARC do in this story?
- It measures ocean properties in the fjord.
- The Ministry says these readings help explain changes linked to melting Arctic ice.
- It does not measure monsoon rainfall.
What else did the Ministry claim?
It said that disruption of the monsoon would affect rain and snow over the Himalayas. That is the Ministry’s own statement. Treat it as an official position, not as a measured fact.
What is India’s policy?
India released its Arctic policy on 17 March 2022. Its first pillar is strengthening scientific research and co-operation.
Sources: PIB, the 2014 release on Arctic processes and monsoon modelling. Also: PIB, Rajya Sabha reply on the Arctic and monsoon link, 13 Feb 2025.
What did UPSC ask about IndARC in 2015?
UPSC Prelims 2015, GS Paper I, Q73 (Series A), asked a one-line question.
What was the question?
“The term ‘IndARC’, sometimes seen in the news, is the name of”
- (a) an indigenously developed radar system inducted into Indian Defence
- (b) India’s satellite to provide services to the countries of Indian Ocean Rim
- (c) a scientific establishment set up by India in Antarctic region
- (d) India’s underwater observatory to scientifically study the Arctic region
The official key for Series A gives (d).
Why are the other options wrong?
- No source describes IndARC as a defence radar. It is run by ocean-science bodies under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- IndARC sits in the sea. It does not orbit the Earth.
- IndARC is in the Arctic at about 79 degrees north.
- All three wrong options sound like Indian science news. That is the trap.
How do you answer it fast?
Split the word. “ARC” points to the Arctic. Then recall that IndARC is an underwater observatory in Kongsfjorden. Only option (d) says that.
Sources: UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2015, GS Paper I question booklet (PDF). Also: UPSC official answer key 2015, Paper I (archived PDF); PIB, what IndARC is, from the 2014 release.
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Questions to think through
Why not just send a research ship every year?
A ship visit gives readings only while the ship is there. The harsh Arctic winter makes visits hard. A mooring keeps recording on its own, so it fills the winter gap that PIB describes.
Why was Kongsfjorden a smart place to measure?
The fjord feels both Atlantic and Arctic water and is fed by glaciers. Scientists call it a reference site. It is a useful place to watch ocean and ice change.
Does IndARC prove that the Arctic changes the monsoon?
No. It measures ocean readings in one fjord. The Ministry says studies link Arctic sea ice to the monsoon. IndARC data feed climate models that test such links.
How can you tell IndARC from Himadri in one line?
Himadri is the land station at Ny-Ålesund, opened in 2008. IndARC is the underwater observatory in the fjord, deployed in 2014.
Native Practice
Apply the place, the builders and the sensors. Read the connected explanation after each answer.
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