India joined hands with which country to launch a joint initiative to combat marine pollution and promote cleaner oceans and seas?

Introduction / Context:
Marine pollution is a major global environmental concern, affecting marine life, coastal communities, and the overall health of the planet's oceans. Several countries have entered into partnerships and initiatives to tackle issues such as plastic waste, oil spills, and chemical contamination. India, with its long coastline, has a strong interest in cleaner seas and has collaborated with other nations on this topic. This question asks which country partnered with India to launch an initiative specifically aimed at combating marine pollution.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The initiative mentioned is focused on combating marine pollution.
• India is one of the partners in this initiative.
• The options include Sweden, Japan, Australia, and Norway.
• We assume the question refers to a widely reported collaboration between India and a particular country known for its marine and environmental expertise.

Concept / Approach:
The concept tested is environmental diplomacy and international cooperation. Norway is well known for its marine research, sustainable ocean management, and leadership in environmental initiatives. India and Norway launched a joint initiative to combat marine pollution, particularly focusing on plastics and waste in the oceans. The approach is to recall which of the listed countries has been repeatedly mentioned in news reports as partnering with India on marine environmental issues and to select Norway accordingly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the question is specifically about combating marine pollution, not general climate change or trade.Step 2: Recall that Norway is a leader in ocean related environmental policies and has worked with several countries, including India, on marine issues.Step 3: Compare the options and consider that Sweden, Japan, and Australia have their own environmental programmes, but the widely publicised marine pollution initiative with India involved Norway.Step 4: Connect the memory of India–Norway cooperation on marine litter and plastics to this question.Step 5: Select Norway as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by remembering that India and Norway signed agreements and launched partnerships focused on tackling marine litter in the seas, often highlighted in international environmental forums. While India also engages with Sweden, Japan, and Australia on various topics, the specific phrase “initiative to combat marine pollution” is strongly associated with the India–Norway partnership. This confirms that Norway is the right choice among the given options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (Sweden) is incorrect because, although Sweden is active in environmental diplomacy, it was not the country highlighted in this specific joint marine pollution initiative with India. Option B (Japan) has strong maritime interests but is not the correct partner mentioned in this context. Option C (Australia) also has significant marine conservation programmes, yet the question refers to a different bilateral initiative, namely the one involving Norway.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to pick any environmentally progressive country from the list, assuming that all of them have similar initiatives with India. Another pitfall is to confuse general climate action partnerships with targeted marine pollution initiatives. To avoid this, candidates should specifically remember that India's high profile cooperation on marine pollution and marine litter was with Norway.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Norway, which partnered with India to launch an initiative to combat marine pollution.