Question
Which of the following statements with regard to India’s Deep Ocean Mission is/are correct?
1It was launched by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India.
2Matsya-6000 has been designed to carry 3 people for deep sea exploration.
3Samudrayaan is a project under this mission.
A1 only
B2 and 3 only
C1 and 2 only
D1, 2 and 3
Each Statement — Verified from PIB and Official Sources
1
“Launched by Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways” — FALSE
The Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) was launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) — NOT the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
“Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways”
✗ Wrong ministry — it is Ministry of Earth Sciences
Key facts:
• Approved by Union Cabinet on June 16, 2021
• Formally launched by Union Minister for Science and Technology on October 29, 2021
• Nodal ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
• Budget: ₹4,077 crore over 5 years (2021-2026)
Why the confusion? The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways also has ocean-related programmes (like the Sagarmala programme for ports). Students mix this up with the Deep Ocean Mission, which is specifically under MoES and focuses on deep-sea exploration, mining, and scientific research — not port infrastructure.
✗ Wrong ministry — correct answer is MoES
Deep Ocean Mission = Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) · NOT Ports, Shipping and Waterways · Approved June 2021 · ₹4,077 crore
2
“Matsya-6000 has been designed to carry 3 people for deep sea exploration” — TRUE
Confirmed by PIB (official government press release): “MATSYA 6000, a self-propelled manned submersible capable of transporting three individuals to depths of up to 6,000 meters beneath the ocean surface.”
Matsya-6000 carries 3 people for deep sea exploration
✓ Correct — confirmed by PIB and NIOT
Matsya-6000 key specifications:
3Aquanauts / crew members
6,000 mTarget depth (Central Indian Ocean)
12 hrsOperational endurance (96 hrs emergency)
TitaniumAlloy spherical pressure hull
600 barExternal pressure resistance
NIOT + VSSCDevelopers (Chennai + ISRO)
✓ PIB confirmed — 3 aquanauts, 6,000 metres
Matsya-6000: India’s first self-propelled manned submersible · 3 crew · 6,000 m depth · Titanium-alloy sphere · Developed by NIOT Chennai
3
“Samudrayaan is a project under this mission” — TRUE
Confirmed by Drishti IAS, StudyIQ, PIB, and multiple sources: “Samudrayaan is India’s first human deep-sea mission. It is a key component of the Deep Ocean Mission.“
Samudrayaan is a project under the Deep Ocean Mission
✓ Correct — key component of DOM
The DOM-Samudrayaan relationship:
• Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) = the overarching mission with multiple components
• Samudrayaan = the manned deep-sea exploration component specifically
• Matsya-6000 = the vehicle used under Samudrayaan
• Other DOM components include: deep-sea mining, ocean climate change advisory, underwater biodiversity research, deep-sea survey vessels
Samudrayaan goal: Send 3 aquanauts to 6,000 m depth in the Central Indian Ocean by 2027. India will join the elite group — USA, Russia, China, Japan, France — with manned deep-sea capability.
✓ Samudrayaan = manned component of Deep Ocean Mission
DOM → Samudrayaan (manned sub-mission) → Matsya-6000 (vehicle). India’s first human deep-sea mission. Target: 6,000 m by 2027.
Deep Ocean Mission — Complete Fact Sheet
| Parameter | Detail |
| Nodal ministry | Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) — NOT Ports, Shipping and Waterways |
| Cabinet approval | June 16, 2021 · Budget: ₹4,077 crore · Duration: 2021–2026 |
| Objective | Explore and harness deep-sea resources · Support Blue Economy · Deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules |
| Samudrayaan | India’s first human deep-sea mission · Key component of DOM · Send 3 aquanauts to 6,000 m · Target year: 2027 |
| Matsya-6000 | India’s first self-propelled manned submersible · 3 aquanauts · 6,000 m depth · 12 hrs operation (96 hrs emergency) · Titanium alloy sphere · Developed by NIOT Chennai + VSSC |
| Deep-sea mining | Polymetallic Nodules in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) at 5,271 m · OMe 6000 AUV already tested (2022) |
| Research vessel | SagarNidhi — used for deep-sea mineral exploration operations |
| DOM components | 1. Manned submersible (Samudrayaan) · 2. Deep-sea mining · 3. Ocean Climate Change Advisory · 4. Deep-sea biodiversity · 5. Ocean Technology + Skill Development |
| Elite club | India joins USA, Russia, China, Japan, France — only countries with manned deep-sea capability |
| Statement 1 trap | Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways = Sagarmala (port infrastructure). Ministry of Earth Sciences = Deep Ocean Mission. Common UPSC confusion. |
Memory Trick
🧠 Remember It This Way
Statement 1 trap — Earth vs Ports: Ministry of Earth Sciences = deep OCEAN exploration (earth’s oceans). Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways = PORT infrastructure (Sagarmala). Confusion is deliberate — both involve “ocean.” But DOM = research + mining + exploration = Earth Sciences.
DOM → Samudrayaan → Matsya-6000: Three nested levels. The Mission (DOM) contains the Project (Samudrayaan) which uses the Vehicle (Matsya-6000). All three = 3 crew + 6,000 metres.
Matsya = Fish in Sanskrit: India’s deep-sea submersible is named after the Fish avatar of Vishnu — fitting for a mission into the deep ocean. 3 aquanauts + 6,000 metres + titanium sphere + 12 hours operational = the four Matsya numbers to remember.
