PARLIAMENT QUESTION: DEEP-SEA MINING

• Deep-sea mining = extraction of mineral deposits (polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich crusts, polymetallic sulphides) from the ocean floor beyond 200 m depth.
• India pursues it under the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM), a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) launched on 7 September 2021.
• Strategic for critical minerals security (Ni, Co, Cu, Mn, rare earths) needed for EV batteries and clean energy; ties to India's Blue Economy vision.