India must craft a clear Arctic narrative, parliamentary panel says

The Arctic is the very cold area around the North Pole.

A group of Indian leaders who study the country's foreign affairs wrote a big report about it.

They said the Arctic is important for India even though it is far away.

That is because melting ice in the Arctic can change India's monsoon rains, which help farmers grow food.

It can also make the sea level rise and flood places like the Maldives and parts of India's coast.

The leaders said India should spend more money on Arctic science.

In one year, India spent very little on the Arctic, less than on a short stretch of road.

They also want a special person, called a Polar Ambassador, to look after Arctic matters.

And they want India to have its own ice-breaking research ship.

India has been part of Arctic science for a long time, so the report says it should do even more.