11. Organisation and Finance

The Department of Ocean Development was established in July 1981 directly under the charge of the Prime Minister. The organisational chart of the Department is given below.

The present sanctioned strength of the Department, including administrative, technical and supporting staff and those in attached and subordinate offices, is 220 in all grades. Two attached offices (i) Antarctic Study Centre and (ii) a Project Cell for implementation of polymetallic nodules programme and one subordinate office viz. Sagar Sampada Cell at Kochi have been established. The Department does not have any institute or laboratory under its control. The mandate of the Department includes promotion of research and development in marine sector, survey and exploration for living and non-living resources, protection of marine environment, development of manpower, development of deep seabed mining, promotion and coordination of Antarctic research and matters relating to oceans not specifically allotted to any other Department. The Department has been utilising the facilities available in various national institutes and laboratories for implementing the various ocean development programmes undertaken pursuant to the Ocean Policy Statement and also the specific responsibilities assigned to it.

In order to ensure proper implementation of the programmes, the Department has constituted Inter-Departmental -Coordination and Steering Committees with specific mandates. The following flow chart indicates the details of the committees set up by the Department.

The Ocean Science and Technology Board acts as the focal point for Inter-Ministerial coordination for formulating, reviewing and overseeing the implementation of ocean related programmes. The Research Advisory Committee identifies the thrust areas of research and development, approves and periodically monitors the progress of R&D projects. The Cruise Planning and Programmes Priority Committee finalises and approves the cruise programmes for the research vessels. During the year in review meetings of these committees were held as and when required.

The Task Force and National Coordination Committee, for the Antarctic Research finalised selection of scientific and logistic personnel, scientific objectives and arrangements for ship charter for the 12th Indian Scientific Expedition. As in the earlier years various Government Departments, National Institutes and academic institutions have been involved in Antarctic research programme. The three Services of the armed forces continue to contribute to the logistic Support of the Antarctic research expeditions. The Steering Committee of the MARSIS programme met under the chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Space and reviewed the progress in the application of remote sensing techniques to marine fishery predictions. The Research Advisory Committee identified the projects for funding during 1993-94 and reviewed the R&D projects currently being executed in different institutions. The progress made in the implementation of national programme on 'Drugs from the sea' was also reviewed.

11.2 Implementation of the 15-Point Programme on Minority Welfare

The activities of the Department do not have a direct bearing on the development of minority communities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes etc. The Department has been taking due care to ensure adequate representation of minority communities while making recruitment to the posts. Adequate representation of the officers belonging to the minority communities has also been given in the Selection Committee for filling up vacancies in Group A, B, C and D.

11.3 Administrative Support

The sanctioned strength of the Department of Ocean Development, including its attached and subordinate offices, in all grades was 220 (as on December, 1992). Selection for 4 Group A posts has been completed. Two posts in Group A, 7 in Group B, 9 in Group C and 6 in Group D were filled up.

11.4 Training

The following officers/staff of the Department attended training programme(s) organised in different institutions during the year:

Joint Secretary

 

Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta

 

5 days

OSD & Joint Secretary

 

National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore

 

Four weeks

Principal Scientific Officer

 

Institute of Training and Management

 

5 days

Senior Scientific Officer

 

-do-

 

5 days

Section Officer

 

-do-

 

12 days

Section Officer

 

National Informatics Centre

 

5 days

Lower Division Clerk

 

-do-

 

5 days

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.5 Finance

The budget estimates of the Department for the year 1992-93 was Rs. 48.17 crores (Rs. 39.00 crores under Plan and Rs. 9.17 crores under Non-Plan). The revised estimates for 1992-93 are Rs. 39 crores under Plan and Rs. 9.17 crores under Non-Plan. A budget estimate of Rs. 56.4 crores (which includes Rs. 43.00 crores under Plan and Rs. 13.41 crores under Non-Plan) has been made for the year 1993-94. Following is a summary of the financial requirements.

 

Financial Statement

 

 

Budget Estimates

1992-93

Revised Estimates

1992-93

Budget Estimates

1993-94

S.No.

Scheme

Plan

Non-plan

Total

Plan

Non-plan

Total

Plan

Non-plan

Total

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.

Secretariat

--

70

70

--

70

70

--

73

73

2.

OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Oceanographic Research Vessel

--

380

380

--

440

440

--

600

600

(ii)

Fishery & Oceanographic Research Vessel (FORV)

--

350

350

--

350

350

--

550

550

3.

Antarctic Research

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Expedition to Antarctica

314

--

314

314

--

314

380

--

380

(ii)

Chartering/Running of Ice-breaker

820

--

820

820

--

820

750

--

750

(iii)

Research Station in Antarctica

165

--

165

165

--

165

319

--

319

(iv)

Antarctic Study Centre

300

--

300

300

--

300

276

--

276

(v)

Acquisition of Ice-breaker

1

--

1

1

--

1

25

--

25

4.

Polymetallic Nodules Programme

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Survey & Exploration

540

--

540

540

--

540

594

--

594

(ii)

Mining Research and Development

200

--

200

200

--

200

200

--

200

(iii)

Underwater Technology

40

--

40

40

--

40

10

--

10

(iv)

Metallurgy

160

--

160

160

--

160

176

--

176

5.

Assistance for Oceanographic Research, Marine Research and Development

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Assistance for Research Projects, Seminars, Symposia, etc.

200

50

250

200

5

205

230

50

280

(ii)

Marine Satellite Information Service (MARSIS)

390

--

390

390

--

390

366

--

366

(iii)

Island Development Programme

50

--

50

50

--

50

60

--

60

6.

Other Research Programme

Ocean Energy programme

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Studies on Prevention of Coastal Erosion and Wave Energy

150

--

150

150

--

150

125

--

125

(ii)

Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS)

120

--

120

120

--

120

135

--

135

(iii)

Desalination and Marine Chemicals

20

--

20

20

--

20

20

--

20

(iv)

Marine Instrumentation

100

--

100

100

--

100

86

--

86

7.

Training

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Manpower Training for Ocean Research and Management

25

20

45

25

5

30

18

20

38

(ii)

Assistance to University etc. for Post-Graduate Centre

25

--

25

25

--

25

25

--

25

(iii)

National Oceanographic Data and Information System

25

--

25

25

--

25

20

--

20

8.

International Cooperation

15

--

15

15

--

15

15

--

15

9.

Other Expenditure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Administrative Support and Infrastructure

60

47

107

60

47

107

60

48

108

(ii)

Exhibition & Fairs

100

--

100

100

--

100

100

--

100

(iii)

International Geosphere Bio-sphere Programme(IGBP)

5

--

5

5

--

5

5

--

5

(iv)

Monitoring & Modelling of Sea Level Variations

50

--

50

50

--

50

100

--

100

(v)

Integrated Studies on the Deep Sea Fans

25

--

25

25

--

25

75

--

75

(vi)

Library

--

--

--

--

--

--

5

--

5

(vii)

National Institute of Ocean Technology

--

--

--

--

--

--

5

--

5

(viii)

Coastal Research Vessel

--

--

--

--

--

--

100

--

100

 

TOTAL

3900

917

4817

3900

917

4817

4300

1341

5641