- Why in news
- On 9 September 2026, ORV Sagar Manthan, India's new ocean research vessel, was launched at Rishi Bankim Shipyard, Kolkata. GRSE is building it for NCPOR under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- What it is
- ORV Sagar Manthan is an all-weather, multidisciplinary ocean research vessel built in India by GRSE for NCPOR. It is meant for deep ocean survey and exploration, including in the Southern Ocean. It will gradually replace the ageing ORV Sagar Kanya.
- Builder and user
- Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), a defence PSU, is building it for NCPOR under MoES.
- Research aim
- It will explore Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges for multi-metal hydrothermal sulphide mineralisation and set environmental baselines.
- Equipment
- It has dynamic positioning, multibeam bathymetry, multichannel seismic systems, and facilities to deploy ROVs and AUVs.
- Certification
- It is built under dual-class certification by the Indian Register of Shipping and the American Bureau of Shipping.
Don’t confuse with ORV Sagar Manthan vs ORV Sagar Kanya: Sagar Manthan is the new Indian-built vessel being launched in 2026. Sagar Kanya is the older vessel, procured from Germany in 1983, which it will gradually replace.
Don’t confuse with NCPOR vs MoES: NCPOR is the institution that will operate the vessel. MoES is the parent ministry that funds it under the Deep Ocean Mission.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Replaces an ageing foreign-procured vessel with an indigenous one, supporting Atmanirbharta in marine technology.
- Supports deep-sea mineral exploration, climate and ocean data collection, and India's presence in the Southern Ocean.
Problems
- Delivery is only due in 2028; sea trials and system integration must be completed first.
- Deep-sea exploration needs sustained funding, trained crew and scientists, and advanced sensors.
Way forward
- Add more oceanographic vessels and a Polar Research Vessel, as MoES plans.
- Use the collected data for disaster prediction, climate research and sustainable use of ocean resources.
Put in your answer
Indigenous transition: Example of India moving from buying research platforms abroad to building them at home.
Deep Ocean Mission example: Vertical-4 of the Deep Ocean Mission funds this vessel for deep ocean survey and exploration, costing about Rs 840 crore.
- 2014Mains GS1 · Q24Critically evaluate ocean resources that can be harnessed to meet world resource crisis.
- 2018Mains GS1 · Q5Why is India taking keen interest in resources of the Arctic Region?
- 2022Prelims Q77Which statement describes the Polar Code? (International safety code for ships in polar waters)
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Research vessel for NCPOR built by GRSE. Useful context, but a ship launch gives few testable facts and sets no debate.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.