The International Polar Year (IPY), in which India is an active partner, is being celebrated to mark the 50 th Anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) 1957-58. IGY led to drafting and signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, for promoting cooperative scientific research and peaceful use of the icy continent. India ratified the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and is one of the 28 Consultative Members of the Treaty.

Historically three IPYs have been held so far, the first in 1882-83, the second in 1932-33 and the third in 1957-58, which was later renamed as IGY, which was actually to celebrate 50th and 25th anniversary of the 1st and 2nd IPY. The official period of the current IPY will be from 1st March 2007 to 1st March 2009 in order to allow observation during all seasons, and the possibility of two summer field seasons in each polar region.

India has participated in the IPY planning process right from the very beginning. It was one of the member of the International Council for Science (ICSU) - IPY Planning Group. This Group prepared a report ‘A Framework for International Polar Year 2007-08', based on which research proposals were invited. During the course of IPY, thousands of scientists from 60 countries and a wide range of research disciplines, will carry out 220 science and outreach projects. This will be the largest internationally coordinated scientific research effort in 50 years . The six major themes of IPY are, Status of Polar environment; Quantify past and present environmental and social changes and future projections; Global linkages between Poles and rest of the world; Investigations in new frontiers; Poles as a vantage point for space observations and Human dimensions. Three Indian research proposals have been included in the overall list of IPY research projects, covering our areas of operation in the Antarctica and Southern Ocean.

Year long mass awareness programme is launched on 1st March 2007 by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa in collaboration with Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) -India. These will include series of public lectures by eminent Indian and International Polar Scientists; Exhibitions, screening of special films, national level competitions for school children and other related programmes. Major themes will be global climate change, melting of polar ice caps and sea level rise and how to reduce human impact. This campaign will not only be aimed to educate but also to motivate next generation of scientists, engineers and leaders.