Assess the role of indigenous technological development (e.g., Bharat Forecast System) in strengthening India's climate resilience.

Q. Assess the role of indigenous technological development (e.g., Bharat Forecast System) in strengthening India's climate resilience. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Climate resilience depends not merely on importing forecasts but on owning the science that produces them. Mission Mausam, approved by the Cabinet on 11 September 2024 with an outlay of ₹2,000 crore, seeks to make India "Weather Ready and Climate Smart" through indigenous observation, modelling and dissemination capacity [1] — making self-reliant technology the backbone of adaptation.

Indigenous capability strengthens resilience - Bharat Forecast System (BharatFS), India's home-grown high-resolution model at 6 km, enables panchayat/block-level forecasts, converting national warnings into locally actionable advisories [2]. - Observation self-reliance: the Doppler Weather Radar network grew from 15 (2014) to 39 (2023), with a target of 87 additional radars by 2026 for near-complete national coverage [2]. - Last-mile dissemination: the "Mausamgram" platform, launched during IMD's 150th Foundation Day, provides hourly (36 hrs), 3-hourly (5 days) and 6-hourly (10 days) forecasts to citizens [3]. - Demonstrated outcomes: severe-weather forecast accuracy has improved by about 40% over the previous decade [3], while cyclone deaths fell from nearly 10,000 in 1999 to zero during 2020-2024 [2]. - Cross-sectoral gains: agriculture, aviation, fisheries, water and power planning all draw on domestically controlled forecast systems, insulating critical decisions from external dependence [1].

Limits to be addressed - Indigenous modelling is compute-intensive, requiring sustained high-performance computing and AI/ML augmentation now built into the Mission's later phases till 2031 [4]. - Execution spans IMD, IITM and NCMRWF, demanding tight coordination across observation, modelling and dissemination arms [1]. - Uneven sub-national rollout — tracked separately for regions such as the North-East and Odisha — risks leaving the most vulnerable districts last [5]. - Forecast skill alone does not save lives unless NDMA-led community response and trust in warnings keep pace.

Indigenous technology thus converts India from a consumer of weather information into a producer of climate intelligence. Sustaining this requires stable funding beyond 2026, scientific manpower, and integration of forecasts into local disaster plans — advancing both the Sendai Framework's early-warning targets and India's adaptation commitments.

(~320 words)

Sources: 1. Cabinet approves 'Mission Mausam' to create a more weather-ready and climate-smart Bharat, PIB (11 Sept 2024) — outlay, objectives, implementing institutes, benefiting sectors 2. Mission Mausam Unveiled: A ₹2,000 Crore initiative to Enhance India's Weather and Climate Forecasting by 2026, PIB — BharatFS 6 km resolution, radar expansion, cyclone mortality decline 3. PARLIAMENT QUESTION: Weather Forecasting and Early Warnings, PIB (23 July 2026) — Mausamgram forecast tiers; 40% accuracy improvement 4. PARLIAMENT QUESTION: Mission Mausam, PIB — HPC augmentation, AI/ML modelling, phased implementation till 2031 5. PARLIAMENT QUESTION: Implementation of Mission Mausam in the North-East Region, PIB — region-specific rollout monitoring