♦ Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated Sagar Bhavan and Polar Bhavan at the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Goa.

♦ These are the first-of-their-kind integrated facilities in India and among the few such infrastructures globally dedicated to polar and ocean research. 

♦ The newly inaugurated Polar Bhavan is the largest building on the NCPOR campus, spread across 11,378 square metres and constructed at a cost of Rs.55 crore.

♦ It houses cutting-edge laboratories for polar and ocean research, 55 accommodation units for scientists, conference and seminar halls, a library, and a canteen.

♦ It is also home to the “Science On Sphere (SOS)” platform – a state-of-the-art 3D visualization system for displaying climate and earth system data – and will soon host India’s first Polar and Ocean Museum. 

♦ Sagar Bhavan, built over 1,772 square metres at a cost of Rs.13 crore, includes ultra-low temperature laboratories with -30°C ice core storage and +4°C sample preservation units.

♦ It features 29 specialised rooms, including a Class 1000 clean room for trace metal and isotope studies.