The senior Congress leader and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, said on Tuesday that the committee had adopted two reports that will soon be sent to Parliament—one on India's Arctic and Antarctic policy and the government’s response to an earlier report on India-Bangladesh relations.
Tharoor told reporters after the committee meeting that the discussion primarily centered on the committee’s report on the polar regions and it was important, he said, despite the lack of public interest in it.
VIDEO | Delhi: When asked about the agenda of today’s meeting, senior Congress leader and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs Shashi Tharoor says, "So, the committee had two reports to adopt which go to Parliament. One was on the very interesting… pic.twitter.com/Vf6bVm0aCX
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 21, 2026
"The committee had two reports to adopt which go to Parliament. One was on the very interesting but rather obscure subject, for many people, of Arctic and Antarctic policy. The polar regions are far more important to our country than many people realise," Tharoor said.
He said the committee had had a thorough study of the topic and had received detailed briefings from the Ministry of Earth Sciences, environmental experts, and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) before issuing its recommendations.
Tharoor said that the report contains detailed recommendations on India’s engagement with the Arctic and Antarctic regions, which is a reflection of the strategic, scientific, environmental, and geopolitical importance of the polar areas. But he said that the report is not publicly available till it is formally delivered to Parliament.
The second report discussed during the meeting related to India-Bangladesh relations. Tharoor said that the committee had prepared a report on bilateral ties and the concerned ministry had provided its official response.
He said the committee also reviewed the ministry's replies and discussed the responses and made a decision to accept them or make further comments before forwarding the matter to Parliament.
"The Ministry has to reply to our report, which they have done, and we were discussing how to accept or comment further on the replies of the Ministry. That was what we had done," he said.
Tharoor said both reports will now be submitted to Parliament in accordance with parliamentary procedures. He added that he would be able to discuss the substance of the reports only after they are officially tabled in the House.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs is tasked with studying India's foreign policy, international relations, and strategic interests of India, as well as advising on India’s foreign policy, trade, and international relations and strategic interests in this country and to recommend that we would like to strengthen our country’s diplomatic and geopolitical engagement.
The two reports have been adopted as part of the committee's oversight and policy analysis process, and Parliament must now consider the findings and recommendations in the next session.
