First ever visit of a high level Indian delegation led by Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Ocean Development to Indian station ‘Maitri’ and nearby areas in Antarctica in February 2005.
Project concept for Early Warning System for mitigation of Oceanogenic Disasters: Tsunami and Storm Surges in Indian Ocean evolved by the Department of Ocean Development. Lead role played by India in interactions with international community during World Conference on Disaster Reduction at Kobe, Japan and the Ministerial Meeting at Phuket, Thailand, highlighted the opportunity for India to play a lead role in the Indian Ocean region. To provide safe drinking water in coastal rural areas and islands, where power supply is limited, National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai, an autonomous body under Department of Ocean Development, developed an experimental demonstration desalination plant of 5000 liter per day capacity, based on Low Temperature Thermal Desalination Process. National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai, an autonomous body under Department of Ocean Development, successfully developed and disseminated the viable technology for fattening lobsters and mud crabs in cages to select beneficiaries in Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu and Andaman Island. The President of India dedicated to the nation the indigenously developed Data Buoy on Foundation Day on 27th July 2004. These data buoys have resulted in considerable reduction in the costs and better operational life of these buoys. The first ever highly sophisticated and the state-of-the art low temperature ice core laboratory was inaugurated by Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Ocean Development, at the National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research, Goa, an autonomous body under Department of Ocean Development. Within a record period of 18 months, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad, an autonomous body under Department of Ocean Development, which is being brought up as a model scientific institution, with a clear vision, a vibrant young team, institutional synergy and focused programmes, started functioning from its permanent campus named ‘Ocean Valley’. Concerted efforts of the Department of Ocean Development hand-in-hand with the Space Application Centre (SAC) and National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) of the Department of Space as well as the Fishery Survey of India (FSI) and several Central Fisheries Research Institutions and State Fisheries Departments, have culminated in a unique service to provide reliable and timely potential fishing zone advisories using satellite data to the fishing community of the entire coastline of the country in a mission mode Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad, an autonomous body under Department of Ocean Development, generated potential fishing zone advisories using satellite data for chlorophyll and sea surface temperature and disseminated the same to the fishermen in the coastal areas, resulting in considerable reduction in search time and cost per unit of fishing, thereby resulting a significant improvement in earnings of coastal fishermen. New Technology Demonstration Vessel ‘Sagar Nidhi’ to cater to the ongoing and new programmes during the 10th Plan and also to act as a support platform for various research activities, being constructed by Department of Ocean Development. Under Common Minimum Programme, National Institute of Technology, Chennai, an autonomous body under Department of Ocean Devleopment, executed two projects for alleviating the poor coastal communities of Uppada near Kakinada and Potti Subbiah Palem near Chirala. For the first time, the Ocean Science & Technology Cell established during 1999 in the Centre of Advance Study in Marine Biology in Annamalai University, was upgraded into a DOD’s Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology and was formally inaugurated by Secretary, DOD, on 23rd February 2005. Under Drugs from Sea Programme, anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterol compounds have been identified for drug development after screening 2000 samples. Department of Ocean Development celebrated its first ever Foundation Day on 27th July 2004 in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, which was inaugurated by Honourable President of India. In order to generate ocean awareness, Department of Ocean Development brought out a booklet ‘A Story of Oceans’ and this has been translated in various regional languages to increase its circulation.