Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today unveiled the Bharat Forecast System, one of the world’s first indigenously developed high-resolution weather prediction models, at Vigyan Bhawan. Developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, the system enhances weather forecast resolution from 12 km to 6 km — enabling village-level precision and significantly strengthening India’s disaster preparedness and agricultural planning.
Dr. Singh hailed the development as a strategic asset aligned with India’s rise as the 4th largest global economy, highlighting its role in reducing economic losses and boosting sectoral gains through better forecasting. The initiative is a key milestone under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ campaigns.
In a proud moment for gender representation in science, Dr. Singh revealed that four women scientists are leading the Bharat Forecast System’s development — a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Nari Shakti’ in action.
He emphasized the Bharat Forecast System’s ability to improve extreme weather prediction accuracy by up to 64%, supporting critical sectors like agriculture by minimizing crop losses. The system uses the Triangular Cubic Octahedral Grid model, positioning India among global leaders in climate modeling.
Lauding the collaborative approach involving IITM, ISRO, IMD, and other agencies, Dr. Singh described it as a “Whole of Science, Whole of Government” effort. He also referenced the ₹2000 crore Mission Mausam initiative and the IMD’s significant advancements in recent years.
The minister concluded by underlining the government’s focus on last-mile forecast delivery for public benefit and scientific inclusion, marked by the launch of IITM’s Hindi science magazine “Indradhanush” at the same event.
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