The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, will launch a new initiative—‘NIRMAL-Sagar’—to complement the Central Government’s ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ mission as part of the World Oceans Day celebrations on June 8.Under this initiative, INCOIS plans a focused operational oceanographic research and development programme to identify the sources, pathways, and sinks of marine litter in the Indian Ocean with activities planned for 2027 and beyond.“This initiative will also be our contribution towards addressing the UN Ocean Decade Challenge 1: ‘Understand and beat marine pollution’. We will collaborate with leading scientific organisations and NGOs for the science-based implementation of the Swachh Sagar mission,” said Director T. M. Balakrishnan Nair on Friday.The celebrations will also feature expert talks by leading national and international ocean scientists, along with the launch of the INCOIS Research Scholars Collective (IRSC).This year, the United Nations is marking World Oceans Day with the theme: “Reimagine: Beyond the World We Know—A New Relationship with Our Ocean”. The event aims to raise awareness about the vital role oceans play in sustaining life and underscores the need for collective action to conserve marine ecosystems and promote sustainable development, according to a press release. Published - June 05, 2026 08:10 pm IST