Question 1

Hydrographic surveys are primarily conducted by oil companies to find deep-sea petroleum reserves.

Accepted Answer

While bathymetry aids resource discovery, the primary legal mandate of hydrography is producing accurate navigational charts to ensure maritime safety (under SOLAS conventions) and defining sovereign maritime borders.

Question 2

MAHASAGAR is simply the Hindi translation for the older SAGAR initiative.

Accepted Answer

MAHASAGAR is a distinct, upgraded 2025 doctrine standing for 'Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions'. It expands SAGAR's (2015) regional security focus to include global maritime partnerships, trade, and the broader Global South.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the hydrographic cooperation between India and Mauritius and the MAHASAGAR vision:
1. The MAHASAGAR vision geographically restricts India's maritime focus exclusively to the Western Indian Ocean.
2. The INS Sutlej's 2025 hydrographic mission was conducted under a bilateral MoU framework originally signed in 2005.
3. The 'fair-sheet' generated by the Indian Navy's survey is handed over to the host nation to aid its sovereign coastal regulation.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statement 1 is incorrect: The MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision expands India's focus from the immediate neighbourhood (under the older SAGAR doctrine) to the broader Indo-Pacific and the Global South. Statement 2 is correct: The MoU on hydrography was signed in 2005 and recently renewed at the 14th Joint Committee Meeting. Statement 3 is correct: The final survey document, the fair-sheet, was officially handed over to the Mauritian government to assist their Blue Economy.

Question 4

Match the following terms related to India's maritime diplomacy with their correct descriptions:
List I
A. SAGAR
B. MAHASAGAR
C. Fair-sheet
D. Bathymetry

List II
1. The final, verified cartographic document produced after a hydrographic survey
2. A 2015 doctrine focusing primarily on security in India's immediate maritime neighbourhood
3. The study and measurement of underwater depth of ocean floors
4. A 2025 initiative emphasizing Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions

Select the correct code:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3 — SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) is the 2015 maritime framework (A-2). MAHASAGAR is the upgraded 2025 vision (B-4). A 'fair-sheet' is the finalized map of hydrographic survey data handed to the host nation (C-1). Bathymetry refers to measuring underwater depth (D-3).

Question 5

Assertion (A): Hydrographic surveys conducted by the Indian Navy in foreign EEZs, such as Mauritius, play a direct role in reinforcing the host country's sovereign rights under UNCLOS.
Reason (R): Hydrographic surveys accurately map the seabed and baselines, providing the legal and scientific basis required to demarcate maritime boundaries and regulate coastal resources.
Select the correct answer:

Accepted Answer

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. — Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a nation's sovereign rights over its territorial waters and EEZ rely on legally defined baselines and accurate seabed data. Hydrography is the essential scientific tool (Reason R) that charts these metrics. By executing this mapping and handing over the data, India directly enables Mauritius to enforce its sovereign boundaries and manage its Blue Economy (Assertion A).

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