# Ministry of Earth Sciences

The Ministry of Earth Sciences is an executive ministry of the Government of India, established on 29 January, 2006. It was formed through the reorganisation of the Department of Ocean Development and the assumption of administrative control over various institutions, including the India Meteorological Department, the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting , the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the Earth Risk Evaluation Centre.

## History

In 1981, the Government of India established the Department of Ocean Development (DOD) under the Cabinet Secretariat, directly reporting to the Prime Minister of India. In 1982, it became a separate department and began focusing on ocean development activities. In 2006, the department was elevated to a Ministry, known as the Ministry of Ocean Development. Later that same year, the ministry underwent reorganisation, and the Ministry of Earth Sciences was created, incorporating various institutions under its jurisdiction. Through a government resolution in 2006, the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting and Research were brought under its administrative control. The resolution also led to the establishment of an Earth Commission, modelled after the Atomic Energy Commission and the Space Commission.
The ministry is currently headed by Jitendra Singh.

## Functions

The Ministry's mandate is to look after Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean Science & Technology and Seismology in an integrated fashion.

## Institutions under the Earth System Science Organisation

* National Centre for Coastal Research
* Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
* India Meteorological Department
* National Centre for Seismology
* Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services
* National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting
* National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
* National Institute of Ocean Technology
* Earthquake Risk Evaluation Centre (under the Atmospheric Sciences and Seismology sector)
* Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre
* Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (under the Ocean Science & Technology sector)
* National Center for Earth Science Studies

## Cabinet Ministers

* Note: MoS, I/C – Minister of State (Independent Charge)
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| Minister in the Department of Ocean Development |||||||||||
| 1 | | | Rajiv Gandhi (1944–1991) MP for Amethi (Prime Minister) | 31 December 1984 | 2 December 1989 | 4 years, 336 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | | Self |
| 2 | | | Vishwanath Pratap Singh (1931–2008) MP for Fatehpur (Prime Minister) | 2 December 1989 | 10 November 1990 | 343 days | Janata Dal | Vishwanath | | Self |
| 3 | | | Chandra Shekhar (1927–2007) MP for Ballia (Prime Minister) | 10 November 1990 | 21 June 1991 | 223 days | Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) | Chandra Shekhar | | Self |
| 4 | | | P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921–2004) MP for Nandyal (Prime Minister) | 21 June 1991 | 16 May 1996 | 4 years, 330 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | Self |
| 5 | | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924–2018) MP for Lucknow (Prime Minister) | 16 May 1996 | 1 June 1996 | 16 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee I | | Self |
| 6 | | | H. D. Deve Gowda (born 1933) Rajya Sabha MP for Karnataka (Prime Minister) | 1 June 1996 | 21 April 1997 | 324 days | Janata Dal | Deve Gowda | | Self |
| 7 | | | Inder Kumar Gujral (1919–2012) Rajya Sabha MP for Bihar (Prime Minister) | 21 April 1997 | 18 March 1998 | 331 days | Janata Dal | Gujral | | Self |
| (5) | | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924–2018) MP for Lucknow (Prime Minister) | 19 March 1998 | 3 February 1999 | 321 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 8 | | | Murli Manohar Joshi (born 1934) MP for Allahabad | 3 February 1999 | 13 October 1999 | 252 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee II | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| (5) | | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924–2018) MP for Lucknow (Prime Minister) | 13 October 1999 | 22 November 1999 | 40 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| (8) | | | Murli Manohar Joshi (born 1934) MP for Allahabad | 22 November 1999 | 22 May 2004 | 4 years, 182 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Vajpayee III | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| 9 | | | Kapil Sibal (born 1948) MP for Chandni Chowk (MoS, I/C) | 23 May 2004 | 29 January 2006 | 1 year, 251 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| Minister of Ocean Development |||||||||||
| (9) | | | Kapil Sibal (born 1948) MP for Chandni Chowk | 29 January 2006 | 12 July 2006 | 164 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| Minister of Earth Sciences |||||||||||
| (9) | | | Kapil Sibal (born 1948) MP for Chandni Chowk | 12 July 2006 | 22 May 2009 | 2 years, 314 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| 10 | | | Prithviraj Chavan (born 1946) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra (MoS, I/C) | 28 May 2009 | 10 November 2010 | 1 year, 166 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| (9) | | | Kapil Sibal (born 1948) MP for Chandni Chowk | 10 November 2010 | 19 January 2011 | 70 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 11 | | | Pawan Kumar Bansal (born 1948) MP for Chandigarh | 19 January 2011 | 12 July 2011 | 174 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 12 | | | Vilasrao Deshmukh (1945–2012) Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra | 12 July 2011 | 10 August 2012 | 1 year, 29 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 13 | | | Vayalar Ravi (born 1937) Rajya Sabha MP for Kerala | 10 August 2012 | 28 October 2012 | 79 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 14 | | | S. Jaipal Reddy (1942–2019) MP for Chevella | 28 October 2012 | 26 May 2014 | 1 year, 210 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 15 | | | Jitendra Singh (born 1956) MP for Udhampur (MoS, I/C) | 27 May 2014 | 9 November 2014 | 166 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 16 | | | Harsh Vardhan (born 1954) MP for Chandni Chowk | 9 November 2014 | 30 May 2019 | 6 years, 240 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 16 | | | Harsh Vardhan (born 1954) MP for Chandni Chowk | 31 May 2019 | 7 July 2021 | 6 years, 240 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| (15) | | | Jitendra Singh (born 1956) MP for Udhampur (MoS, I/C) | 7 July 2021 | 18 May 2023 | 1 year, 315 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 17 | | | Kiren Rijiju (born 1971) MP for Arunachal West | 18 May 2023 | 9 June 2024 | 1 year, 22 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| (15) | | | Jitendra Singh (born 1956) MP for Udhampur (MoS, I/C) | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 280 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | | Narendra Modi |

## Ministers of State

| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| 1 | | | C. P. N. Singh MP for Padrauna | 15 February 1982 | 2 February 1983 | 352 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| 2 | | | Shivraj Patil (born 1935) MP for Latur | 29 January 1983 | 31 October 1984 | 3 years, 262 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Indira IV | | Indira Gandhi |
| 2 | | | Shivraj Patil (born 1935) MP for Latur | 4 November 1984 | 31 December 1984 | 3 years, 262 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv I | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 2 | | | Shivraj Patil (born 1935) MP for Latur | 31 December 1984 | 22 October 1986 | 3 years, 262 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 3 | | | K. R. Narayanan (1921–2005) MP for Ottapalam | 22 October 1986 | 2 December 1989 | 3 years, 41 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rajiv II | | Rajiv Gandhi |
| 4 | | | M. G. K. Menon (1928–2016) Rajya Sabha MP for Rajasthan | 25 December 1989 | 10 November 1990 | 320 days | Janata Dal | Vishwanath | | Vishwanath Pratap Singh |
| 5 | | | Rangarajan Kumaramangalam (1952–2000) MP for Salem | 2 July 1992 | 2 December 1993 | 1 year, 153 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| 6 | | | Eduardo Faleiro (born 1940) MP for Mormugao | 18 December 1993 | 16 May 1996 | 2 years, 150 days | Indian National Congress (I) | Rao | | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| Minister of State for Earth Sciences |||||||||||
| 7 | | | Ashwani Kumar (born 1952) Rajya Sabha MP for Punjab | 19 January 2011 | 28 October 2012 | 1 year, 283 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 8 | | | Y. S. Chowdary (born 1961) Rajya Sabha MP for Andhra Pradesh | 9 November 2014 | 9 March 2018 | 3 years, 120 days | Telugu Desam Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |

## Networking

All institutions under ESSO are connected through National Knowledge Network and its Common User Group (CUG).

## Computation Facility

Adithya HPC located at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology is one of the largest computation facility in India.