MoES Launches 14 Scientific Tools on 19th Foundation Day to Strengthen India’s Climate Resilience.

On 28 July 2025, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences and Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, unveiled 14 new scientific tools and digital services developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in New Delhi. These innovations are designed to bolster India’s climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and public outreach.

      - The launch coincided with MoES’s 19th Foundation Day celebrations, themed “19 Saal – Vigyan, Sankalp aur Seva”, held in New Delhi. Minister Singh described India’s transformation into a citizen-centric, science-driven nation, emphasizing accessible real-time weather alerts and ocean forecasts via mobile platforms.

      - Among the tools introduced were the Bharat Forecast System – Extended Range Prediction (BharatFS‑ERP), high-resolution rainfall datasets, seismic microzonation maps for four cities, updated wave atlases, crop–weather calendars, ocean biodiversity reports, and a documentary titled Life‑Saving Impact by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). These tools enhance services for agriculture, fisheries, disaster management, and coastal safety.

      - Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted MoES’s remarkable expansion over the past decade: Doppler Weather Radars have increased from 15 to 41 units, and seismic and weather monitoring systems have been significantly upgraded—enabling real-time earthquake alerts within 2–3 minutes to lakhs of users.

Main Point :-   (i) Today over 7 lakh farmers rely on the Meghdoot mobile app for location-specific crop advisories based on weather forecasts. Meanwhile, coastal fishermen benefit from SMS alerts to identify safe fishing zones and optimize fuel use. MoES has effectively combined scientific data with practical outreach for last-mile resilience.

      (ii) MoES also showcased its leadership in ocean technology, with six Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plants in Lakshadweep producing 1.5 lakh litres of drinking water daily. The Deep Ocean Mission, including the Samudrayaan project, was described as a future economic driver—envisioning Indian scientists diving 6 km below sea level.

(iii) Highlighting institutional strength, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)’s budget increased from ₹1,281 crore in 2014 to ₹3,658 crore in 2024, supporting high-performance infrastructures like supercomputing systems Pratyush and Mihir. This enhanced funding enabled key initiatives such as Mission Mausam, the National Monsoon Mission (NMM), and strengthened partnerships with premier agencies including the IMD, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF).