Prithvi Programme Overview

Source: Cabinet gives nod to ‘Prithvi’ programme for earth observation (The Hindu, January 7)

Consolidation of MoES Schemes: The Union Cabinet has approved the ‘Prithvi’ initiative, a comprehensive ₹4,797-crore programme. This initiative will consolidate five current schemes under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Focus Areas: The goal is to bolster the observation and modeling of Earth’s systems. The program will focus on the atmosphere, oceans, geosphere, cryosphere, and the planet’s solid earth elements. By doing so, it will enhance the tracking of planetary changes.
Research and Development: Research will delve into understanding weather patterns, predicting ocean and climate phenomena, studying climate change, and exploring Earth’s polar regions and high seas.
Technological Advancements: Prithvi aims to advance technology for exploring and exploiting ocean resources sustainably. These advancements are expected to benefit society by providing services that cater to societal, environmental, and economic needs.
Deep Ocean Mission Inclusion: The programme includes the ambitious Deep Ocean Mission (DOM), which involves sending a crewed submersible into the Indian Ocean’s depths, reaching up to 6,000 metres. The Cabinet had previously approved the DOM with a budget of ₹4,000 crore over five years starting from 2021.

Research and Development Institutes

India Meteorological Department: The India Meteorological Department is dedicated to weather research.
National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting: This Centre focuses on forecasting weather for the medium range.
Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology: The Centre studies marine life and its environment.
National Centre for Coastal Research: Coastal research is the key focus of this Centre.
National Centre for Seismology: The National Centre for Seismology researches earthquakes.
National Institute of Ocean Technology: This Institute works on ocean technology innovations.
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service: Ocean information and services are provided by this Centre.
National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research: Polar and ocean research is conducted by this Centre.
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology: This Institute specializes in tropical meteorology studies.
National Centre for Earth Science Studies: The National Centre is dedicated to earth science research.
Support Vessels: A number of vessels assist the institutes with oceanographic and coastal research.