Minister of the Union Jitendra Singh. | Photo Credit: Neither
The Ministry of Sciences of the Country (MOE) has established a committee composed of members of various organizations for the “formulation of the legal framework” concerning meteorological services in India and the role of agencies involved in it, said the Minister of the Union Jitendra Singh on Thursday a written answer to the question of Rajya Sabha.
This step is the result of the long-term mandate of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) from which India is a member, which requires all Member States to develop legislation/law/policy for hydro-meteorological services. “The Committee established by MOE will be aware of and explore the legislation carried out in this respect in other countries,” he said in his answers.
Although the official source of monsoon predictions, cyclone warnings and all aspects concerning the weather, except that it has been completely financed by the government, there is no single law that defines the structure, function and responsibility of the meteorological department of India, which was established during the colonial period. He is currently a subsidiary under MOE.
MoE officer said Hindu that although IMD was an official weather forecast agency, there were organizations that publish their own predictions, “causing confusion”. This was supposed to prevent WMO from requiring Member States to have a legally binding policy on the dissemination of advice or weather forecasts, added the officer.
Over the years, there have been cases where monsoon predictions have been published by research organizations in violation of the IMD and recently, several private organizations have also begun to spread their predictions.
The statement on the WMO website stated that national legal tools should define the mission and mandate of the NMHS (National Meteorological and Hydrological Service) “to ensure clarity in the definition of their duties and recognition of their contribution to facilitate the allocation of reasonable resources”.
The advantages of such a legal instrument according to WMO are: obligations and areas of liability for the fact that NMH is defined in favor of both NMH and governments; The NMHS is clearly identified as “official” weather, climate and flood warning service and as the “National Office” in warning situations to avoid public confusion; ensuring legal protection of field equipment and officers in their obligations; direct access to the necessary international communication; and coordinating various weather, climate, water and related environmental activities in the country.
More than half of the NMHS operated by WMO members already have formal legal instruments (such as law, law or decree) covering their obligations, establishment and operation of their facilities, state regulations and legal liability. Other questions included in legal instruments are the roles of NMHS in the prevention and alleviation of natural disasters, international cooperation and additional provisions and financing.
Published – July 24, 2025 21:20
