A National Committee of Experts has been constituted under the chairmanship of Director, NCAOR, with distinguished scientists from various national institutions and organizations, as members to guide this activity. A Science Plan addressing the scientific issues pertaining to the seas around India which calls for deep-ocean drilling was developed.

Under the MoU with IODP, a total of five scientists from some of the leading geoscientific institutions in the country participated in the following IODP activities during 2009-10:

• IODP Pacific Equatorial Age Transect Expedition 321
• JOIDES Bering Sea 323
• CHIKYU Nankai Trough Japan 322
• MSP (Europe) GBR 325
• JOIDES Wilkes Land 318

Action has also been initiated to nominate three more scientists to participate in the forthcoming IODP drilling activities during 2011-12.