Maarg Manthan · Topic 17.11

India’s International Collaboration in Science Projects

Science & Technology › Science & Technology Policy and Institutions in India · Topic 17.11

India takes part in many large international science projects, which give access to facilities and expertise it could not build alone. It became an associate member of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in January 2017, and a partner in ITER, the fusion experiment in France, since 2005. It is a partner in the Thirty Meter Telescope in Hawaii and the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project, and it is building LIGO-India, a gravitational wave detector in Hingoli, Maharashtra, approved in principle in 2016 and finally in 2023. It works with the United States in the NISAR radar satellite, launched in July 2025, and runs research stations in Antarctica, Maitri and Bharati, and in the Arctic, Himadri. It has also joined the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Germany and global programmes on genomics and climate.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Science & Technology · Science & Technology Policy and Institutions in India

At a Glance

CERN Associate member, 2017
ITER Member since 2005
LIGO-India Hingoli, approved 2016
NISAR With NASA, July 2025
Polar stations Maitri, Bharati, Himadri
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Science & Technology: Science & Technology Policy and Institutions in India

Where Does It Fit?

This is the last topic of the macro on science and technology policy and institutions. It shows how India links its national programmes with global science, which completes the policy picture. Previous topic: National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Next topic: Copyrights.

In Which Big Science Projects Does India Take Part?

Project	India’s role
CERN	Geneva. India has cooperated since 1960s and became an associate member on 17 January 2017. Indian institutes work on the Large Hadron Collider, including the CMS and ALICE detectors, and supply magnets and software
ITER	The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor at Cadarache, France. India joined in 2005, with an agreement signed in 2006 along with the EU, US, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea. India supplies the cryostat and other parts and shares about 9 percent of costs
LIGO-India	A gravitational wave observatory planned at Aundha, Hingoli, Maharashtra, approved by the Union Cabinet in April 2023 at a cost of about Rs 2,600 crore, in partnership with the US National Science Foundation. It will form a network with detectors in the United States. It is expected to begin work around 2030
Thirty Meter Telescope	A proposed giant optical telescope in Hawaii in which India is a partner, along with Canada, the US, Japan and China. Site disputes have caused delays
Square Kilometre Array	A radio telescope in Australia and South Africa. India has taken part through the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics
FAIR	Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research at Darmstadt, Germany, in which India is a shareholder
Others	Global programmes such as the International Space Station research and the Human Genome Project

What Are the Bilateral and Polar Programmes?

NISAR: NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, a joint Earth observation satellite with L and S band radars, launched on 30 July 2025 by GSLV-F16 from Sriharikota
Chandrayaan-1: carried instruments from the US, Europe and others, and found water molecules on the Moon with NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper
Indo-French: Megha-Tropiques and SARAL satellites with France
Antarctic programme: launched in 1981; research stations Dakshin Gangotri (1983, now abandoned), Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2012)
Arctic: Himadri station at Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, opened in 2008
Indo-US Science and Technology Forum: supports joint research
Mission Innovation and International Solar Alliance: global energy collaborations led or joined by India
Science diplomacy: science agreements with many countries open exchange of students and scientists

What Else Should You Remember?

Associate membership: at CERN gives access to tenders and training, but not voting rights
Large Hadron Collider: the world’s largest particle accelerator, found the Higgs boson in 2012
Higgs boson: its discovery used Indian contributions and is linked to Satyendra Nath Bose
Bose-Einstein statistics: Bose’s work in 1924
Gravitational waves: first detected by LIGO in 2015
GMRT: Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope near Pune, one of the largest of its kind
Hanle observatory: Himalayan Chandra Telescope in Ladakh
India-based Neutrino Observatory: a project in Theni, Tamil Nadu, which has been held up
Fusion in India: the Institute for Plasma Research at Gandhinagar runs the SST-1 tokamak, as in Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion
Cost sharing: partners contribute money, parts or people
Benefits: training, technology, prestige and access to data
Concerns: delays, rising costs and the need to build local capacity
Human Genome Project: international effort that India took part in after 2003 with the Indian Genome Variation project
Square Kilometre Array: India has also built its own large radio telescope facility, GMRT, which is a precursor
Arctic Policy: India released its Arctic policy in March 2022
Antarctic law: the Antarctic Act, 2022 sets rules for Indian activities
Link: institutions at home are in Department of Science and Technology (DST)

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

CERN: associate member 2017
ITER: 2005 membership, Cadarache
LIGO-India: Hingoli
Current affairs link: NISAR launch and LIGO-India progress
Common errors: giving full membership for CERN or placing ITER in the United States

As an analytical point, joining global projects gives access to big science at a fraction of the cost, and brings back skills for industry. India should build strong domestic institutions so that it contributes ideas as well as money.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Projects CERN, ITER
Home projects LIGO-India
Polar Stations

What Came Next?

The next macro covers intellectual property rights, beginning with copyrights. Next topic: Copyrights.

Key People and Terms

CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research
ITER International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
LIGO Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory
SKA Square Kilometre Array
NISAR NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar
TMT Thirty Meter Telescope

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

CERN associate member: January 2017.
ITER: India joined 2005; located in France.
LIGO-India at Hingoli; cabinet 2023.
NISAR launched 30 July 2025.
Himadri in the Arctic; Maitri and Bharati in Antarctica.

Do Not Confuse With

CERN and ITER Particle physics versus fusion energy
LIGO-India and INO Gravitational waves versus neutrinos
Maitri and Himadri Antarctic versus Arctic station

Memory Hook

CERN in 2017, ITER in 2005, LIGO at Hingoli; Maitri and Bharati south, Himadri north.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for projects, places and years. These points help.

Why Access to big science
Projects Examples
Concerns Delay

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Discuss the importance of India’s participation in international science projects and the challenges involved.”

How to Answer

Need Cost and skills.
Projects CERN, ITER.
Polar Stations.
Concerns Delays.

GS Relevance

Prelims: names, membership years and locations. GS Paper 2: international relations; GS Paper 3: science and technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did India become an associate member of CERN?

India became an associate member of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, on 17 January 2017. This lets Indian scientists and firms take part in more of its experiments and competitive bids, though India does not get voting rights. India had cooperated with CERN for decades before that.

What is ITER and what is India's role?

ITER, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, is a large fusion experiment being built at Cadarache in France by a group of countries. India joined in 2005, signed the agreement in 2006, and supplies parts like the cryostat, cooling systems and power supplies, in exchange for access to the technology.

What is LIGO-India?

LIGO-India is a proposed gravitational wave observatory to be built at Aundha in Hingoli district of Maharashtra, in partnership with the United States. It will be the third in the world with the same design, improving the position of sources, and is expected to start operations around 2030 after approval in 2023 with about Rs 2,600 crore.

What is NISAR?

NISAR, or NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, is a satellite jointly developed by NASA and ISRO that maps changes in Earth's land and ice surfaces every 12 days with L and S band radar. It was launched on 30 July 2025 by a GSLV rocket from Sriharikota.

Where are India's research stations in the polar regions?

India has two permanent research stations in Antarctica, Maitri, set up in 1989, and Bharati, set up in 2012, and one in the Arctic, Himadri, at Ny-Alesund in Svalbard, opened in 2008. They support research on climate, glaciers and marine life.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 India became an associate member of CERN in 2017.

True

On 17 January.

2 ITER is being built in the United States.

False

It is in Cadarache, France.

3 Himadri is an Indian research station in the Arctic.