GS4 · UPSC Mains

Many proponents of deep-sea drilling argue that tapping into the vast amount of rare earth elements in the Indian Ocean will help shore up national security interests for India, bolster its economy and workforce, and offer a reliable supply of strategic minerals. Keeping this in mind, the government has approved a $540-million programme to study ways of mining nickel, cobalt, manganese and iron hydroxide from the bed of the Indian Ocean 6,000 meters below sea level. The government argues that the project can power India's growth for 100 years. It will also study climate change, explore marine flora and fauna and harness thermal energy. However, a competing point of view alleges that deep ocean drilling poses immense risk to the environment. A comprehensive report on Sustainable Ocean Economy by independent geologists states that "until the need for, and potential consequences of, deep-sea mining are better understood, the concept is conceptually difficult to align with the definition of a sustainable ocean economy and raises various environmental, legal and governance challenges, as well as possible conflicts with the UN Sustainable Development Goals." It also highlights that the profitability of national mining operations, without governmental support or comparably low taxes, remains questionable. If the operations are profitable, it will also raise questions about the equitable distribution of benefits from resources derived from the common heritage of mankind. Additionally, companies like BMW, Volvo, Google and Korean battery maker Samsung SDI, vowed in a statement to not buy metals produced from deep-sea mining until the environmental risks of the activity are "comprehensively understood." In the context of the above-stated information, address the following: (a) What are the ethical issues in the given case study? (b) How can the vision of economic development of a nation be achieved without adversely affecting the sustainability of oceans? (Answer in 250 words)

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GS4 · Case studies on the above issues

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