Department of Posts opened a second branch of the post office at the Bharati research station in Antarctica after almost four decades.Letters intended for Antarctica will now be addressed with a new experimental PIN code, MH-1718, typical for a new branch.Currently, Maitri and Bharati are the two active research stations that India operates in Antarctica.
Significance of India’s Post Office in Antarctica
Historical Context
- In 1984, India set up its first post office in Antarctica at Dakshin Gangotri (India’s first research stations).
- Unfortunately, in 1988-89, Dakshin Gangotri was submerged in ice and was subsequently decommissioned.
Continuing the Tradition
- India established another post office at the Maitri research station in Antarctica on 26th January 1990.
- India’s two Antarctic research bases, Maitri and Bharati, though are 3,000 km apart but both come under the Goa postal division.
Operational Process
- Letters meant for the post office in Antarctica are sent to the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Goa.
- When a scientific expedition to Antarctica departs from NCPOR, a researcher carries the consignment of letters.
- At the research base, the letters are ‘cancelled’, brought back, and returned via post.
- The term ‘cancellation’ refers to the mark placed on a stamp or postal stationery to render it useless for reuse.
Strategic Presence
- The existence of an Indian post office in Antarctica serves a strategic purpose.
- Typically, an Indian post office operates within Indian territory. Antarctica, being foreign and neutral under the Antarctic Treaty, provides a unique opportunity to assert India’s presence on the continent.
- It symbolises India’s commitment to scientific exploration and environmental stewardship.
Antarctica’s Governance
- The Antarctic Treaty neutralises territorial claims, prohibits military operations and nuclear tests, and emphasises scientific discovery.
- Having an Indian post office in this foreign land aligns with the treaty’s spirit.
India’s Antarctic Programme
- It is a scientific research and exploration program under the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCPOR). It started in 1981 when the first Indian expedition to Antarctica was made.
- NCPOR was established in 1998.
Dakshin Gangotri
- Dakshin Gangotri was the first Indian scientific research base station established in Antarctica, as a part of the Indian Antarctic Program.
- However, it was submerged in ice in 1988-89 and was subsequently decommissioned.
Maitri
- Maitri is India’s second permanent research station in Antarctica. It was built and finished in 1989.
- Maitri is situated in the rocky mountainous region called Schirmacher Oasis. India also built a freshwater lake around Maitri known as Lake Priyadarshini.
- Bharti:
- Bharti, India’s latest research station operation since 2012. It has been constructed to help researchers work in safety despite the harsh weather.
- It is India’s first committed research facility and is located about 3000 km east of Maitri.