Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, today inaugurated the Himalayan High Altitude Atmospheric and Climate Research Centre and flagged off the Indo-Swiss Joint Research Project titled ICE-Crunch at Village Mandlote, Chenani in Udhampur district.
The Indo-Swiss project, in collaboration with ETH Zurich, Switzerland, focuses on study of ice-nucleating particles and cloud condensation nuclei properties in the north-western Himalayas.
The event was attended by Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Information Technology, Science and Technology, Satish Sharma, DDC Chairperson Udhampur, Lal Chand, Member Legislative Assembly Chenani, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Secretary, Ministry for Earth Sciences GoI, Dr. M. Ravichandran, Vice Chancellor of Central University Jammu, Professor Sanjeev Jain, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Saloni Rai, Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Baseer-Ul-Haq Chaudhary, Centre Incharge, Dr. Shweta Yadav, Registrar of Central University Jammu, Professor Yashwant Singh and other senior officers besides PRI members and locals.
While addressing a massive gathering, the Union Minister congratulated the people and expressed pride in establishment of the climate research centre in Chenani. He stated that the centre would focus on advanced research related to climate patterns including rainfall and cloudburst predictions, which are crucial for the Himalayan region.
Highlighting India’s scientific advancements, Dr. Singh said that prior to 2014, India was seen as a fragile economy, but today under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has emerged among the top five global economies. To realize the dream of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, he emphasized the importance of value addition from previously unexplored areas, particularly hilly regions like Jammu & Kashmir.
He added that India is leading global initiatives on climate concerns and has made remarkable improvements in weather forecasting, attributing this progress to the reforms brought under the Modi Government. Dr. Singh highlighted that in the early days of Modi 3.0, the government has already taken over 100 crucial decisions across diverse sectors, including preventive healthcare, space research and medical advancements.
Referring to Udhampur’s development, the Union Minister said that the district has emerged as a model in the country. In the past five years, Udhampur has consistently ranked among the top three in PMGSY road construction. He also mentioned key achievements like the Devika Rejuvenation Project, extension of the Purple Revolution to Latti and adjoining areas, GI tagging of Udhampur Kalari, establishment of an industrial estate and stoppage of the Vande Bharat Express at Udhampur.
Dr. Singh reiterated the government’s commitment towards improving the citizens' quality of life through better service delivery and infrastructure. He emphasized that effective governance must focus on minimizing the public inconvenience.
Speaking on the occasion, Satish Sharma thanked the Union Minister for gifting such a landmark project to the region. He lauded the Central University and its team for their collaboration in the Indo-Swiss initiative, stating that this project would not only benefit India but also serve the global scientific communities. He recalled the devastating impacts of landslides and cloudbursts in the past and described the research centre as a significant step towards mitigating such disasters through scientific preparedness.
MLA Chenani, Balwant Singh Mankotia, also extended his gratitude to the Modi Government and Dr. Jitendra Singh for sanctioning multiple vital projects in the region. He raised several public issues and urged for their early redressal.