ABOUT THE CENTRE

The RRU Centre for Indian Ocean Legal Studies (CIOLS) at the School of Integrated Coastal and Maritime Security Studies (SICMSS) aims at bringing together government agencies, academicians, researchers, practitioners and legal experts to examine and study the legal facets of Indian Ocean centric domains as an ongoing commitment with specific reference to India and those associated with the domain directly or indirectly.

The Centre will focus on the geostrategic context of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) for the benefit of all associated with it.

This will comprise analysis of the regulatory systems, governance of ocean property regime (Paleri 2002) comprising ocean advantage, ocean resources, ocean environment and oceanic islands of nations, integrated coastal and maritime security, applicability of maritime law comprising international and domestic laws (students, LL.M (CMSL&G) RRU 2023) for the inclusive benefit of all concerned in the IOR.

The Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean division among the five ocean divisions of the World Ocean delimited by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the world body on hydrography. It comprises the body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia. India has the largest coastline among the countries in the IOR.

Select parameters of Indian Ocean (The World Fact Book 06 July 2023) are:

• Geographic coordinates: 20 degrees South, 80 degrees East.
• Area: 70.56 million square km.
• Coastline: 66,526 km.
• Ocean Volume: 264 million cu km.
• Percent of World Ocean total volume: 19.8%.
• Lowest point from sea level: -7,192 m Java trench (unnamed deep) from sea level.
• Mean depth: -3,741 m from sea level.

Etymologically the Indian Ocean is named after India that makes up much of its northern border.

Thematic focussed areas of research

• International law.
• Domestic laws.
• Policies.
• Ocean property rights and governance related to
• ocean advantage,
• ocean resources,
• oceanic environment, and
• oceanic islands of nations.
• Geostrategic context.
• Integrated coastal and maritime security.
• Coastal demography and ecosystems.
• Unlawful dimension and suppression of unlawful activities under rule of law.
• Maritime boundaries.
• Disaster and marine casualty management.

Team

Mr. Aditya Bhushan Research Assistant