NEW DELHI, Mar 18 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that the earlier governments never cared to explore India’s vast ocean resources and it is for the first time, after Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister that there is a serious effort to explore and harness the ocean resources and give priority to the Blue Economy of India. He recalled that not once but in two of his Independence Day addresses to the nation, PM Modi had referred to the Deep Ocean Mission thus underlining its importance.
Dr Jitendra Singh was talking to a high level Goa official delegation led by Union Minister, Shripad Yesso Naik and Goa State Tourism Minister, Rohan Khaunte. The delegation called on him to discuss the various potential projects to promote tourism and ocean related economy in the State of Goa.
The Tourism Minister of Goa, Rohan Khaunte and his team placed before Dr Jitendra Singh some of the proposals for different schemes under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. While assuring the State Tourism Minister that he would have the proposals examined, the Union Minister said that it is pertinent to mention that only last year, the Government of India through Ministry of Earth Sciences undertook the largest ever coastal clean-up campaign in the world lasting 75 days culminating on 17th September 2022 when the entire coast and 75 beaches particularly earmarked for the campaign were cleaned.
Dr Jitendra Singh also mentioned the need in creating an Ocean Aquarium for which the Tourism Ministry may be taken into cognisance.
The Union Minister further said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the first time the Government of India has started exploring the ocean resources of India which have a huge potential under the Blue economy and provide a tremendous value addition to the Indian Economy over the next 25 years. He added that these ocean resources had never been explored before in the past.
The Union Minister said that the objective of the Blue Economy has been to promote smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth and opportunities within the Indian Ocean region’s maritime economic activities and initiate appropriate programmes for the sustainable harnessing of ocean resources, research, and development.
The State Tourism Minister appreciated the manner in which the Ministry of Earth Sciences has been forthcoming to accommodate the priorities of the State government.
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