What is Mission Mausam?

About Mission Mausam:

• It aims to boost India’s weather- and climate-related science, research, and services and make India a ‘Weather-ready and Climate-smart’ nation.
• The ambitious programme, with an outlay of Rs 2,000 crore over two years, will chiefly be implemented by the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting.
• It will enhance forecasting accuracy, provide near real-time local weather forecasts and research the development of weather management technologies.
• The mission aims to achieve this by developing cutting-edge weather surveillance technologies and systems, implementing high-resolution atmospheric observations, next-generation radars and satellites, and high-performance computers.
• By leveraging these technologies, the program aims to refine data collection and analysis to improve the spatial and temporal accuracy of forecasting and to help address the challenges posed by climate change.
• It will also focus on improving the understanding of weather and climate processes, and provide air quality data that will help strategise weather management and intervention in the long run.
• It will help to better equip stakeholders, including citizens and last-mile users, in tackling extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change.

Key Facts about India Meteorological Department (IMD):

• IMD was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
• The Director General of Meteorology is the Head of the IMD.
• There are 6 Regional Meteorological Centres, each under a Deputy Director General with headquarters at Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Calcutta, Nagpur, and Guwahati.
• Its headquarters is in New Delhi.
• At present, IMD is under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• IMD Mandate:
  • To take meteorological observations and to provide current and forecast meteorological information for weather-sensitive activities like agriculture, shipping, aviation, offshore oil explorations, etc.
  • To warn against severe weather phenomena like tropical cyclones, norwesters, dust storms, heavy rains and snow, cold and heat waves.
  • To provide meteorological statistics required for agriculture, water resource management, industries, oil exploration and other nation-building activities.
  • To conduct and promote research in meteorology and allied disciplines.

Q1: What is Meteorology?

Meteorology is the scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes, climate patterns, and atmospheric phenomena. It helps in understanding and predicting weather conditions over short and long periods.

Source: TOI