Consider the following statements regarding the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Statement I: Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a coastal state has sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage resources up to 200 nautical miles from its coast. Statement II: India’s Exclusive Economic Zone extends up to 200 nautical miles, covering around 23 lakh sq km — one of the smallest in the world. Which one of the following is correct? |ForumIAS

Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ):
Statement I: Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a coastal state has sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage resources up to 200 nautical miles from its coast.
Statement II: India’s Exclusive Economic Zone extends up to 200 nautical miles, covering around 23 lakh sq km — one of the smallest in the world.
Which one of the following is correct?

[A] Both Statement I and Statement II are correct, and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I.

[B] Both Statement I and Statement II are correct, but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I.

[C] Statement I is correct, but Statement II is incorrect.

[D] Statement I is incorrect, but Statement II is correct.

Answer: C

Notes:

Explanation: Statement I is correct — the 1982 UNCLOS grants coastal states sovereign rights within 200 nautical miles of their coasts. Statement II is incorrect — India’s EEZ of about 23 lakh sq km is one of the largest, not the smallest, in the world.

Source- PIB

Post-Mains Strategy Session by Mr. Ayush Sinha | ForumIAS