India Adds 10,000 Sq Km to Arabian Sea Continental Shelf Claim
Why in the news
India filed revised papers with the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, enlarging its claim while avoiding an old maritime dispute with Pakistan.
Key facts
- Addition: almost 10,000 sq km, central Arabian Sea.
- Body: UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).
- First filing: 2009, covering Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
- Potential total: NCPOR, Goa, estimates the ECS could reach 1.2 million sq km; with the 2 million sq km EEZ, seabed area nears the 3.274 million sq km of land.
Dispute timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2009 | India’s original claim |
| 2021 | Pakistan objects, citing overlap near Sir Creek (Gujarat-Sindh) |
| 2023 | CLCS rejects India’s entire Arabian Sea claim |
| 3 April 2025 | India files two partial submissions |
About ECS
- Coastal states hold exclusive rights in the EEZ up to 200 nautical miles.
- Beyond that, a state can claim seabed shown geologically to be a natural prolongation of its land.
- Resources include polymetallic nodules, oil and minerals.
About the Arabian Sea
- Part of the northern Indian Ocean, bordered by the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Pakistan, India, the Maldives and Somalia.
- Area 3,862,000 km2; maximum depth 5,395 m.
- Gulf of Aden links to the Red Sea through Bab-el-Mandeb; Gulf of Oman links to the Persian Gulf.
Other overlaps and significance
- Oman: a 2010 agreement treats the boundary as pending delimitation without dispute.
- Myanmar and Sri Lanka contest India’s claims in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean.
- Stronger claims improve access to seabed resources and maritime influence.
Exam angle
- Terms: ECS, EEZ, CLCS, Sir Creek.
- EEZ limit: 200 nautical miles.