PARLIAMENT QUESTION: DEEP-SEA MINING

• Deep-Sea Mining = extraction of mineral resources (polymetallic nodules, sulphides, cobalt crusts) from the ocean floor, typically beyond 200 m depth. India pursues it under the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Flagship vehicle: MATSYA-6000, a manned submersible under the Samudrayaan project, designed to carry 3 personnel to 6,000 m depth.
• UPSC relevance: Blue Economy, strategic minerals (Ni, Co, Cu, Mn) for EV/battery transition, India–ISA contracts, Indo-Pacific resource geopolitics.