The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the continuation of the umbrella scheme ‘Ocean Services, Modelling, Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART)’ for the 2021-26 period at a cost of Rs 2,177 crore.
The scheme encompasses seven sub-schemes - Ocean Technology, Ocean Modelling and Advisory Services (OMAS), Ocean Observation Network (OON), Ocean Non-Living Resources, Marine Living Resources and Ecology (MLRE), Coastal Research and Operation and Maintenance of Research Vessels.
These sub-schemes are being implemented by autonomous institutes of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The objectives of the O-SMART scheme are: providing forecast and services based on the continuous observation of oceans, development of technologies and exploratory surveys for sustainable harnessing of oceanic resources (both living and non-living) and promotion of front-ranking research in ocean sciences.
OSMART being a multidisciplinary continuing scheme, the ongoing extensive research and technology development activities would augment capacity building of the nation in the oceanographic field at the international-level.