IITs to help beat IMD staff crunch

Around 20-30 posts are vacant at IMD Pune office and there is hand shortage at IITM and other met departments in the country.

“The Ministry of Earth Sciences,which has about seven organisations under it,needs at least 80-100 people for all their offices. With new advancements we are hard pressed for staff in atmospheric sciences. We are tying up with IITs and IISERs to help us get students,” said a senior officer from the MoES. MoES has already initiated the Centre for Advanced Training in Earth System Sciences and Climate at IITM.

IITs have been requested to start specialisation programmes in atmospheric sciences so that fresh recruits can be found. “This is the only way we can fill vacancies,as we need more expertise with advancement in the field,” added the official. Deputy director general,IMD,Pune,Dr A B Mazumdar admitted severe staff crunch in IMD and said there was vacancy in almost all the departments of the Pune office.

Dr BN Goswami,head of IITM,also said there was a staff shortage. With plenty of research work more people need to opt for this field,he added. “We need more people to focus in this field,” he said.

The Centre for Advanced Training in Earth System Sciences and Climate at IITM,Pune,is expected to see at least 15-20 students in the first batch the coming year,hopes advisor to the MoES,Swati Basu. She said the centre will assure 100 per cent job placement. Basu added that paucity of skilled manpower required for improving weather and climate forecasts in the country will be addressed by this centre.

“The course will help understand the science of climate variability and change,as well as build capacity to make world-class weather and climate forecasts with focus on Indian monsoon,” she says.

A large pool of trained climate and earth system modellers is proposed to be created through this programme.

Similar outreach programmes with IISER in Pune have been proposed and the Ministry has commenced with MTech programme in atmospheric sciences with IIT-Delhi and plans to do so at other IITs and IISERs. “It’s only with such rigorous programmes that we can get expertise in the field,” adds Goswami.