Ever since I joined the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa for the doctoral work and chose to work on microfossils, I had a dream of going on a drilling vessel one day. I got his opportunity now, thanks for the initiative of the National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa supported by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, India.

Ever since I joined the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa for the doctoral work and chose to work on microfossils, I had a dream of going on a drilling vessel one day. I got his opportunity now, thanks for the initiative of the National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa supported by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, India.

Ever since I joined the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa for the doctoral work and chose to work on microfossils, I had a dream of going on a drilling vessel one day. I got his opportunity now, thanks for the initiative of the National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa supported by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, India.

Dr. Pandey along with others at NCAOR relentlessly pursued the MoES to become a member of the International Ocean Discovery Program, which has resulted in many of the young researchers from India, being a part of the international collaborations and sailing on drilling vessels under the IODP. Now its my turn. We a team of 12 scientists, probably the largest ever contingent of Indian Scientists on a IODP Leg, is all set to start our journey at this month end to board the Joides Resolution from Colombo. We are tentatively scheduled to depart from Colombo in the first week of April. The goal is to drill in the northeastern Arabian Sea, to collect good quality long cores, as well as the basement rocks. The expedition will last for over two months and we are planning to come back to Mumbai in the first week of May. Its a dream come true for me, too excited to go onboard JR.