What happened: 8th BRICS OPST meeting in Goa (12–14 August 2026)

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) organized the 8th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Ocean Polar Science and Technology (OPST) at Goa. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, hosted the meeting from 12–14 August 2026 during India’s BRICS Presidency. The meeting brought together senior officials, scientists, experts, and representatives from Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

MoES states that the meeting was inaugurated on 12 August 2026 by Dr. Thamban Meloth (Director, NCPOR) with Dr. Madhavan Nair Rajeevan (VC Atria University and former Secretary, MoES) attending as Chief Guest. The Director, NCPOR, Goa, chaired the three-day event. The Indian delegation included MoES and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), headed by Dr. Sandip Kumar Mukhopadhyay (Scientist G & Advisor, MoES).

Background and earlier position: BRICS OPST under the STI cooperation framework with MoES and DST coordination

MoES states that, since the establishment of the BRICS OPST Working Group, activities are conducted by MoES in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) cooperation activities among BRICS member countries.

What changed now: agreed collaborative initiatives across coasts, oceans, and polar research

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