Key Facts and Data Points

  • Project Cost: Approximately ₹92,000 crore.
  • Launch Year: 2021.
  • Implementing Agency: Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) under the aegis of NITI Aayog.
  • Major Components:
  • International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay.
  • Greenfield airport.
  • Greenfield township and tourism project with a gas‑powered plant.
  • Geographical Focus: Great Nicobar Island – southernmost island of the Andaman & Nicobar archipelago, home to Campbell Bay National Park, Galathea National Park, and the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve.
  • Strategic Location: Near Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok Straits – vital sea lanes of the Indo‑Pacific.
  • Tribal Communities Affected: Nicobarese and Shompen (among others).

Background and Context

  • The project was conceived to bolster India’s maritime security and economic self‑reliance under the Act East Policy (2014) and the QUAD Indo‑Pacific strategy.
  • It seeks to reduce dependence on foreign transshipment hubs such as Singapore and Colombo, aligning with Maritime India Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
  • Post‑2004 tsunami, the affected tribal lands in Galathea Bay, Pemmaya Bay, and Nanjappa Bay have become focal points of contention.

Significance for India / Governance / Policy

  • Strategic: Enhances India’s ability to monitor and respond to naval movements, especially Chinese deployments, through a modern airport and port facilities.
  • Economic: Expected to generate logistics savings, create employment, and stimulate tourism in a remote region.
  • Social: Raises critical questions on tribal rights, forest rights, and participatory development.
  • Environmental: The project traverses ecologically sensitive zones, necessitating a robust Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and compliance with Biodiversity Conservation norms.

Related Constitutional / Legal Provisions

  • Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA): Grants forest‑dwelling Scheduled Tribes rights over land and resources. The Nicobar Tribal Council alleges that FRA processes were never initiated for the land in question.
  • Scheduled Tribes (Protection of Rights) Act, 2005: Protects tribal land from alienation without consent.
  • Environmental Protection Act, 1986 & Biological Diversity Act, 2002: Mandate thorough EIA and biodiversity safeguards for large‑scale projects.
  • Article 46 of the Constitution – Promotion of the educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other weaker sections.

Implications for UPSC Preparation

  • Prelims: Remember factual data – cost, year, strategic location, key agencies, and relevant constitutional provisions.
  • Mains: Analyse the trade‑off between strategic/economic gains and tribal/environmental rights; discuss policy recommendations for sustainable development.

Previous Year Questions (Relevant)

  • 2018 Prelims: Barren Island volcano proximity to Great Nicobar.
  • 2014 Prelims: Ten Degree Channel separates Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Potential Essay Topics

  • “Balancing Strategic Infrastructure Development with Indigenous Rights and Environmental Conservation in Sensitive Ecological Zones.”