Union MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh Inaugurates India’s First High-Altitude Atmospheric and Climate Research Centre in Jammu & Kashmir.
National
In April 2025, Union Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge), Dr. Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T), inaugurated India’s first-ever and the world’s second Himalayan High Altitude Atmospheric and Climate Research Centre at Nathatop, located at an altitude of 2,250 meters in Mandlote village, Udhampur district, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).
- The centre will primarily focus on climate forecasting, aerosol studies, cloud microphysics, and weather pattern analysis in the North-Western Himalayan region. It supports India’s net-zero goals and reinforces the country's position in global climate science efforts.
- The Nathatop site was selected due to its clean air and minimal pollution levels, making it ideal for studying atmospheric processes in free-tropospheric conditions without interference from urban or industrial emissions.
- The research centre is the result of a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the J&K Forest Department, and the Central University of Jammu (CUJ), with international expertise provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
Main Point :- (i) This high-altitude centre will contribute valuable atmospheric data to the Geneva (Switzerland)-based World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) Programme, thus helping to refine global climate prediction models.
(ii) Alongside the inauguration, the Indo-Swiss Joint Research Project titled ‘ICE-CRUNCH’ (Ice Nucleating Particles and Cloud Condensation Nuclei Properties in the North-Western Himalayas) was officially launched in the Udhampur district.
(iii) Under the ICE-CRUNCH project, the centre will begin its first measurements focused on understanding how aerosols affect cloud formation, rainfall patterns, and climate variations in the Himalayan region. This study involves collaboration between Indian researchers and scientists from ETH Zürich, Switzerland, supported by the SNSF.
About Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)
Chief Minister (CM) : Omar Abdullah
Lieutenant Governor (LG) : Manoj Sinha
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