Climate row: Ministry plans fellowships for own research

The Ministry is also working to send the proposal to the Prime Minister so that the fellows could subsequently be christened “PM fellows”, marking an elevation in the status of research. The Ministry is also working on nominating a group of expert environmental scientists of Indian Origin — a global advisory group — to advise it on issues related to climate change and environment.

The step comes at a time when the MoEF has locked horns with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on issues like melting of glaciers.

However,even prior to the current controversy,the discontent against what the Ministry called “West-based science” had been simmering for some time.

Says a senior official at MoEF: “The national environment fellows will be asked to undertake high-quality research in climate change and environment. We need our own findings.”

Unlike other fellowships,a tripartite MoU will be signed with the scientist,the organisation he or she is from,and the MoEF.

Meanwhile,the MoEF has begun identifying universities across the world from which a global expert advisory group can be sourced to help in this endeavour.

The Indian Network on Climate Change Assessment (INCCA),a network of scientists formed last year,was instructed to publish peer-reviewed findings on climate change in India. It is expected to come up with its findings on the impact of climate change on ecological hotspots in India by May this year.