The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) celebrated its 18th Foundation Day at Prithvi Bhavan Headquarters, highlighting its nearly two decades of advancements in Earth system sciences. Established on July 27, 2006, MoES has made significant contributions across various domains, including atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere.

The event featured an inaugural ceremony with notable attendees such as Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, as the Chief Guest. Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary of MoES, emphasised the ministry’s achievements and future challenges related to food, water, energy, health, and climate change. He stressed the importance of good science translating into societal benefits.

To mark the occasion, MoES released several key publications:

1. India Meteorological Department (IMD) released “Cyclone Warning in India” and “Competency Framework for Monitoring and Forecasting High-impact Weather Events”.
2. National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) published a report on the 14th Indian Arctic Expedition (2023-24), including India’s first winter Arctic Expedition.
3. Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) issued a catalogue on “Taxonomy and Systematics of Anomuran Crabs from the Indian EEZ”.
4. MoES Newsletter launched its first quarterly publication highlighting news and updates.

A science talk by Dr. Estibaliz Gascon from ECMWF focused on revolutionising km-scale forecasting and climate models. The event was also attended by Additional Secretary and Finance Adviser Vishwajit Sahay and Joint Secretary D. Senthil Pandian.

Dr. Ravichandran reaffirmed MoES’s commitment to advancing science for societal benefits and collaborating with national and international institutions. MoES’s mandate includes providing services for weather, climate, ocean, and natural hazards; sustainably exploring marine resources; and developing ocean technology for societal applications.