Aim is to prepare a pool of climate, earth system modelling experts
The first national-level advanced training programme in earth
system sciences and climate will kick off on August 8 at the Indian Institute of
Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune. It will be inaugurated by the secretary, ministry
of earth sciences (MoES), Shailesh Nayak.
A brainchild of the MoES, the 18-month residential training programme will see 20
post-graduate science and engineering students joining the first batch from all
over India.
On Tuesday 2nd August, Executive Director (advanced training centre for earth system
sciences and climate) at IITM, M. Baba, said the programme had been devised to train
young scientists to make state-of-the-art weather and climate forecasts with focus
on the Indian monsoon. About 500 trained and dedicated climate and earth system
modelers are proposed to be created through this programme in the next 10 years.
"MoES is, therefore, keen to gradually increase the number of trainees every year
from 20 to 60, so that we can meet the target of 500 trained weather scientists
in a decade," Baba said.
The trainees would be offered a stipend of Rs. 25,000 per month. "They will be exposed
to the latest observational systems and the latest models for earth and climate
systems," Baba said. After training they will be assured appointments as scientists
in any of MoES institutes: IITM, India meteorology department, National centre for
medium range weather forecasting, Indian national centre for ocean information services,
National institute of ocean technology and the National centre of Antarctic and
ocean research. File picture of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology's high-end
multimedia training facility which will be used by the 20 trainees in earth system
sciences and climate from August 8.
Courtesy: DNA India
