United Nations, Jun 7 (PTI): In a keenly contested election, eminent Indian scientist Sivaramakrishnan Rajan has been re-elected to an entity under the United Nation's body focussed on oceans and law of the sea.

Rajan was India's candidate to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), which is tasked with facilitating implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He will serve as member of the Commission for a five-year term from 2012-17.
Rajan obtained 112 of the 161 valid votes cast in the first round at a meeting of the State Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) yesterday.

The election was keenly contested in the Asia-Pacific group with eight candidates in the fray for five seats.

A member of the Commission since June 2007, Rajan is presently working with Goa-based National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research.

He has extensive expertise in matters relating to marine geophysical surveys and has been deeply involved in the implementation of the programme on Delineation of  Outer Limits of Continental Shelf.

A statement from India's mission to UN here said Rajan has taken keen interest in developing national and international collaborative programmes including in Polar Sciences and Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP).

He has to his credit several technical and professional papers which have been published in various journals, relating to marine geology, geophysics, geo-dynamics, geo-magnetics, oceanography and hydrography.

The Commission consists of 21 members, who are experts in the field of geology, geophysics or hydrography, and are elected for a five year term by States Parties to the Convention from among their nationals.

Earlier this year in April, India had registered a significant victory when Justice Dalveer Bhandari was elected for a six-year term to The Hague-based International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.