With reference to India's maritime claims and the Extended Continental Shelf (ECS), which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. A coastal nation can claim an ECS beyond its 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone by providing scientific proof of geological extension to the UN CLCS.
2. India's modified ECS claims in the Arabian Sea were split into two partial submissions primarily to resolve an overlapping boundary dispute with Oman.

Question

Accepted Answer

1 only — Statement 1 is correct; under UNCLOS, nations can claim seabed rights beyond their EEZ by submitting scientific data to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). Statement 2 is incorrect; India split its claim specifically to avoid overlapping maritime boundaries with Pakistan near the disputed Sir Creek region, not Oman.

India Expands Continental Shelf Claim in Arabian Sea

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