8th BRICS Working Group Meeting on Ocean and Polar Science and Technology Begins in Goa

Ministry of Earth Sciences 8th BRICS Working Group Meeting on Ocean and Polar Science and Technology Begins in Goa Scientists and officials from eight BRICS countries discuss cooperation in ocean and polar sciences प्रव तथ: 12 AUG 2026 4:40PM by PIB Mumbai Goa, 12 August 2026 As part of India’s BRICS Presidency 2026, the 8th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Ocean and Polar Science and Technology (OPST) is being held in Goa from August 12 to

14. The meeting is being hosted by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research

(NCPOR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

The meeting was inaugurated on August 12 in the presence of Dr. M. Rajeevan, Vice- Chancellor, Atria University and former Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, along with directors and scientists from MoES institutions, officials from MoES and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and representatives from BRICS member countries.

Dr. Thamban Meloth, Director, NCPOR and Chair of the Working Group for 2026, welcomed the participants. Dr. Rajeevan delivered a keynote address on “India’s Blue Economy Initiatives.” The meeting brings together scientists, experts and officials from Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and India to discuss ongoing national programmes, areas of common scientific interest and opportunities for future cooperation in ocean and polar sciences.

During the three-day meeting, participants are discussing proposals for bilateral, trilateral and multilateral cooperation, priority areas of common interest and future activities in ocean exploration and polar studies. Discussions are also focusing on joint research, capacity building, scientific exchanges and the shared use of research infrastructure.

The BRICS OPST Working Group was established in 2018 to promote scientific cooperation, knowledge exchange, capacity building and collaborative research among member countries. Seven meetings of the Working Group have been held so far, with India having hosted the third meeting during its previous BRICS Presidency in 2020.

The meeting, being held during India’s BRICS Presidency, is expected to further strengthen scientific cooperation among BRICS countries and promote practical collaboration in ocean and polar sciences, with a focus on resilience, innovation, sustainability and scientific partnership.* * * (Source- NCPOR) | PIB Panaji | Ambadas Yadav/Darshana Rane

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