Know your Ministry - No. 15 - Earth Services

The Ministry of Earth Sciences is headed by a Cabinet rank Minister as additional portfolio. The Department of Ocean Development (DOD) was established in July 1981 as a part of the Cabinet Secretariat directly under the charge of the Prime Minister and came into existence as a separate Department in March 1982.  The Erstwhile DoD functioned as a nodal Ministry for organizing, coordinating and promoting ocean development activities in the country.  In February, 2006, the Government notified the Department as the Ministry of Ocean Development and further reorganized the Ministry of Ocean Development and the new Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). It came into being vide Presidential Notification dated the 12th July, 2006 bringing under its administrative control India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF).  The Government has also approved the setting up of Earth Commission on the pattern of Space Commission and Atomic Energy Commission.

The Ministry has set up a Vision to excel as knowledge and technology enterprise in the earth system science realm towards socio-economic benefit of the society. It has earmarked to provide services for weather, climate, ocean and coastal state, hydrology, seismology, and natural hazards; to explore and harness marine living and on-living resources in a sustainable way and to explore the three poles (Arctic, Antarctic and Himalayas).

The Ministry is entrusted with the following functions:

• To augment and sustain long term observations of atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and solid earth to record the vital signs of Earth System and changes.
• To develop forecasting capability of atmosphere and oceanic phenomena through dynamical models and assimilation techniques to build a fool proof prediction system for weather climate and hazards.
• To understand interaction between components of Earth Systems and human systems at various spatial and temporal scales.
• Exploration of polar and high seas regions for discovery of new phenomenon and resources.
• To translate knowledge and insight themes gained into services for societal, environmental and economic

SERVICES AND TRANSACTIONS

1. Weather monitoring, forecasts and warnings
2. Ocean Forecast
3. Early warning of natural hazards
4. Processing of Proposals of holding of Seminars/ Symposia
5. Processing of extra-mural proposals .
6. Payment to Vendors
7. Processing of requests for filling of scientific positions received from various centers
8. Grievance Redressal
9. Release of funds to centres of the Ministry
10. Implementation of RTI Act , 2005

PROGRAMMES OF THE MINISTRY

Atmospheric, Climate Science and Services, Airborne Platforms, Climate Change Research, Geoscience, High Performance Computing System, Ocean Observation Systems, Ocean Research Vessels, Ocean Science Services, Ocean Survey & Mineral Resources, Ocean Technology, Polar Science & Cryosphere, Seismological Research, Research education, Training & Outreach.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

List of MoUs / Agreements signed with various countries, Belmont Forum, Indo-Korean, Indo-National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration -NOAA (USA), MOES- Natural Environment Research Council -NERC (UK) and India-Mauritius & MOES_ Research Council of Norway (RCN).

EXTRAMURAL SUPPORT FROM THE MINISTRY

Ministry offers extramural support in the field of Atmospheric Science, Earth System Science Technology, Earth Science & Technology (ESTC) Cell, Geoscience, Hydrology & Cryosphere, Ocean Science & Resources, Seismology and Other Research Projects & Project Management System.

AUTONOMOUS INSITUTIONS OF THE MINISTRY

5. National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT)
5. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Sciences (INCOIS)
5. National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research(NCPOR)
5. National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS)
5. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)

REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS IN PUBLIC DOMAIN

Annual Report (2019-20), Annual Reports of Autonomous Institutes of the Ministry, Monthly Reports (August 2020), Detailed Demand For Grants (2020-2021), Performance Budget (NA), Accounts (2014-15), Miscellaneous, Circular/Notification/Memorandum and Receipts & Expenditure

CHALLENGES BEFORE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

• Maintain global sustainability to encounter scarcity of raw materials and conventional energy resources.
• Lack of innovative methods for green technology to establish effective resource management and utilization.
• Paucity of technology resources to establish an Early Warning System to detect Natural Calamities like Earthquake, Tsunami, Flood, Cyclone, etc deploying the latest Earth Sciences technology that results in large scale economic and social benefits from Climate forecasting.
• To protect the environment countering the vagaries of potential climate change guiding the society in prioritizing our resource discovery, utilization and their consumption and the upkeep of environment.
• To achieve Technological breakthroughs including the satellite-based observations and augur well for gaining new insights into Earth processes.
• To facilitate an ongoing Research in development of numerical and computer-based techniques by improving the existing experimentation facilities in the Earth science departments of the country, and also the general level of Earth science education to meet the global standards.
• Replenishment of Drainage from homes for irrigation purpose and prevent affluent and discharge from industries from destroying soil and groundwater tables for years.
• To eliminate single-use plastic to save our flora and fauna by means of a cheap and sustainable alternative substitute of plastic
• Development of a dynamic soil database to make day-today farming operations more effective and large-scale water cycling for reuse making it more efficient and cost-effective.
• Climatic pollution emanating from household and industrial waste and provide clean and potable drinking water supply around the country.

WAY FORWARD

Earth Sciences is a vast subject and that needs periodical and ongoing adoption of latest technology and global practices. Our country has so far never achieved any breakthrough in this domain to ensure that life and livelihood of citizens is extensively placed in the safest zone in terms of: It must explore the following agenda in priority

• Availability of safe and clean drinking water at every nook and corner of the country.
• Conservation of Natural Wealth and Resources by checking urbanisation or migration of population from Rural and remote villages/hamlets.
• Checking pollution and all environment related hazards imposed on livelihood due to ineffective and poor management of industrial waste and effluents hampering the liveability of the planet.
• Identify technology that would track the location of all fishermen trapped in Ocean due to natural disasters and children caught inside deep open bore wells due to human negligence.
• Enforce stringent laws to protect our forest wealth including life of all non-human beings.