E-Paper
IITM Pune to set up climate observation station in Bikaner
On February 20, IITM signed a MoU with Bikaner Technical University to promote collaborative research on climate change and sustained observations of critical climate variables
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, will establish a dedicated climate observation station in Bikaner as part of the Bharat Climate Observation Network (BCON), a national initiative aimed at generating long-term, high-quality climate datasets to strengthen frontline climate research in India.
On February 20, IITM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bikaner Technical University to promote collaborative research on climate change and sustained observations of critical climate variables. The MoU was signed by IITM director A Suryachandra Rao and vice-chancellor Akhil Ranjan Garg during an online ceremony.
Suvarna Fadnavis, project director at the Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR), IITM, said that the high-accuracy datasets generated through BCON would play a crucial role in validating and benchmarking earth system models. These include India’s first Earth System Model, the IITM-ESM, also known as Bharat Forecast. “This will enable more accurate simulations of the Indian climate system and significantly enhance future climate projections,” she said.
BCON has been conceived as a long-term, high-precision observational framework designed to systematically measure key climate variables across India. These include meteorological parameters, greenhouse gases, trace gases, and short-lived climate forcers.
Meanwhile, IITM is also expanding its lightning detection network to advance India’s lightning monitoring capabilities. The institute has signed separate MoUs with Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University (SRTMU), Nanded, Maharashtra and Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), Longowal, Punjab, to install lightning detection systems under the Indian Lightning Location Network (ILLN) for a five-year tenure.
The MoU with SRTMU was signed on February 11, 2026. Earlier, on February 6, IITM formalised a similar agreement with SLIET.
