Newly-appointed Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju will have the task to oversee the implementation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project 'Samudrayaan' which plans to take three people to a depth of 6,000 metres for deep-sea exploration.
The first sea trials of Samudrayaan, part of the Deep Ocean Mission, are likely to be held early next year when the Ministry of Earth Sciences plans to send three people to a shallow depth of 500 metres.
Rijiju was named the Earth Sciences minister on Thursday as his Law and Justice portfolio was handed over to Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Rijiju is scheduled to take charge from incumbent Jitendra Singh on Friday.