Indian & World Geography·Policy Changes
Maritime Geography — Policy Changes
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Version 1Updated 7 Mar 2026
| Entry | Year | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNCLOS 1982 (Ratified by India 1995) | 1982 | The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is not an amendment to a national constitution but a foundational international treaty. It established a comprehensive legal framework for all ocean activities, defining maritime zones, navigation rights, resource exploitation, and environmental protection. India ratified UNCLOS in 1995, thereby committing to its provisions and integrating them into its national legal system. | UNCLOS significantly impacted India's maritime governance by providing a universally accepted framework for defining its territorial waters, contiguous zone, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and continental shelf. It clarified India's sovereign rights over marine resources and jurisdiction, while also imposing obligations regarding marine environmental protection and peaceful dispute resolution. This ratification strengthened India's position in international maritime law and facilitated the resolution of maritime boundary disputes with neighbors. |
| The Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime Zones Act | 1976 | This is a key Indian parliamentary act, not a constitutional amendment. It was enacted to define the limits of India's maritime zones and to provide for the exercise of India's sovereign rights and jurisdiction in these zones, in anticipation of and in conformity with the evolving international law of the sea, which later culminated in UNCLOS. | This Act provided the domestic legal basis for India to assert its jurisdiction over its maritime areas. It legally defined the 12 nautical mile territorial sea, 24 nautical mile contiguous zone, and 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), along with rights over the continental shelf. It empowered the Union government to regulate activities like resource exploration, scientific research, and environmental protection within these zones, thereby giving legal teeth to Article 297 of the Constitution. |