The Constitution of India
Article 297
Things of value within territorial waters or continental shelf and resources of the exclusive economic zone to vest in the Union
(1) All lands, minerals and other things of value underlying the ocean within the territorial waters, or the continental shelf, or the exclusive economic zone, of India shall vest in the Union and be held for the purposes of the Union.
(2) All other resources of the exclusive economic zone of India shall also vest in the Union and be held for the purposes of the Union.
(3) The limits of the territorial waters, the continental shelf, the exclusive economic zone, and other maritime zones, of India shall be such as may be specified, from time to time, by or under any law made by Parliament.
Why this exists
After independence, India needed clear rules over its coastal and offshore resources, especially as international law began recognizing concepts like the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (formalized globally by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea). Article 297 ensures that valuable undersea resources — oil, gas, minerals, fisheries, and other wealth — are nationally owned and managed by the Union, preventing disputes between coastal states and ensuring uniform control over India's maritime wealth for the benefit of the whole country.
Common misconceptions
- Myth: Coastal states own the oil and minerals found in the sea next to their coastline.
Fact: Article 297 makes clear that such resources belong to the Union government, regardless of which state's coast is nearby. - Myth: India's maritime boundaries are fixed forever by this Article.
Fact: The Article only says Parliament can define these limits through law, meaning boundaries can be updated as international law or national policy changes.