Context:
India’s coastline expanded by almost half in just over five decades.
More on the News
- India’s official coastline length has been revised from 7,561.60 km to 11,098.81 km.
- This marks an increase of 3,537.21 km, or nearly 50%.
- The length of the coastline was reassessed by the National Hydrographic Organisation (NHO) in coordination with the Survey of India (SoI) as per the latest terms of reference.
- The revised calculation utilises a more precise methodology, including finer details like bays, inlets, and estuaries, which were previously smoothed out in earlier measurements.
Reason for Change
- The revision is due to a change in the methodology of calculation, as per a circular issued by the Union Shipping Ministry.
- The earlier figure (7,561 km) had been used by the Ministry of Home Affairs since the 1970s.