---
title: "UNCLOS and India: Maritime Law Explained | Model Diplomat"
description: "India ratified UNCLOS in 1995, setting its 12-nm territorial sea and 200-nm EEZ. See how the 1982 Convention shapes Indian maritime disputes and policy."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/unclos-and-india"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- UNCLOS is the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which India signed in 1982 and ratified in 1995, defining its maritime zones and ocean rights.
- When did India sign and ratify UNCLOS?
- What domestic law gives effect to UNCLOS in India?
- How does India's position on military activities in the EEZ differ from the United States?
- Has India used UNCLOS dispute-settlement mechanisms?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 10 December 1982

   The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is the comprehensive treaty adopted at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on , which entered into force on 16…

2. 16 November 1994

   The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is the comprehensive treaty adopted at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 10 December 1982, which entered…

3. 29 June 1995

   India signed the Convention on 10 December 1982 and deposited its instrument of ratification on , becoming bound by the full treaty regime as supplemented by…

4. 7 July 2014

   In the Bay of Bengal maritime boundary arbitration between Bangladesh and India, an Annex VII tribunal constituted under UNCLOS delivered its award on , deli…

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Example

In its award of 7 July 2014, an UNCLOS Annex VII arbitral tribunal delimited the Bay of Bengal maritime boundary between India and Bangladesh, and India accepted the ruling that favoured Dhaka.

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