Ashoka University and India Meteorological Department Sign MoU to Advance Climate Science and Weather Research

(MENAFN- Avian We) New Delhi, September 15, 2025: In its efforts to strengthen collaborative research and data sharing in meteorology, climate science, and environmental studies, Ashoka University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. The MoU was formalised during the 2nd Annual Workshop on AI/ML Methods in Weather and Climate Modelling, hosted by Ashoka University’s Safexpress Centre for Data, Learning and Decision Sciences (SCDLDS). The Centre has been working over the past few years to strengthen Ind’a’s capacity for improved weather forecasting, particularly in predicting extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, droughts, heat and cold waves and is engaging with IMD to bring in new machine learning tools and mathematical methodologies to such activities.

The partnership aims to promote deeper collaboration by facilitating data sharing for solutions to key scientific and societal problems pertaining to weather, climate variability, forecasting, and disaster risk reduction. It will support joint research initiatives across meteorology, climate science, atmospheric physics, hydrology, and environmental sustainability. It will encourage the exploration of interdisciplinary topics such as impact of climate change, extreme weather events, air quality, and agro-meteorology, combining IMD’s observational datasets with Ashoka Universi’y’s analytical and computational expertise to improve weather and climate forecasting models, heatwave prediction, monsoon variability, assess climate risks & adaptation strategies, and the impact on agriculture.

Both IMD and Ashoka University will collaborate in the design and delivery of coursework, including lectures, practical training, fieldwork, examinations, and project guidance, in line with Ashoka Univer’ity’s academic framework. The MoU also entails facilitation of student and researcher internships at IMD for hands-on experience with weather monitoring and forecasting.

Highlighting the importance of this collaboration, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General, IMD, sai“, “We are delighted to partner with Ashoka University to advance the culture of research and innovation in the domains of meteorology and climate science. This partnership is set to benefit both the institutions, as the university will’get IMD’s vast operational expertise and data resources, and we will benefit f’om Ashoka’s analytical and academic strengths. Together, we can develop better tools, models, and knowledge systems that will benefit society” at large.”

Somak Raychaudhury, Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka University, said, “Our partnership with IMD represents a significan’ step in Ashoka’s commitment to interdisciplinary research with societal impact.’By leveraging IMD’s extensive data and expertise, we will be able to contribute meaningfully to advancing climate science, improving weather forecasting, and preparing communities to adapt to the challenges of a c”anging environment.”

Sandeep Juneja, Professor of Computer Science, Director of Safexpress Centre for Data, Learning and Decision Sciences, said, “the new developments in machine learning in weather and climate modelling when combined with increased availability of large datasets and physics based classical weather and climate models, can dramatically improve extreme weather forecasts that may help in many ways including in saving lives and enhancing agricultural productivit”.”

A key component of this collaboration is data sharing and management. Both institutions will establish clear protocols for secure and ethical sharing of meteorological, climatological, and remote sensing data with the university researchers, while setting clear guidelines on access, usage, storage, and intellectual property rights.

Moreover, capacity building and training will be integral to the partnership. The institutions will organise workshops, short-term courses, and training programmes in meteorological data analysis, climate modelling, and computational methods. Ashoka University and IMD will also jointly design and refine machine learning, and dynamical models for weather and climate applications, validating these tools using’IMD’s historical datasets and ’shoka’s computational infrastructure.

To maintain effective oversight, a Joint Steering Committee (JSC) comprising representatives from both institutions will be established. The committee will monitor progress, hold periodic reviews, and ensure smooth coordination between research teams.

About Safexpress Centre for Data, Learning and Decision Sciences (SCDLDS)

The Safexpress Centre for Data, Learning and Decision Sciences (SCDLDS) at Ashoka University conducts high-level applied and methodological research in data and learning sciences to aid in informed decision-making and address complex societal challenges. Data-driven weather and climate modelling is its key focus area along with data-driven financial research. In addition to research, the Centre is committed to education. It trains young minds through engaging coursework and projects, exposing them to a deep and varied mathematical toolkit that helps them uncover hidden patterns in large and complex datasets.

About Ashoka University

Ashoka University is a premier interdisciplinary higher education and research-focused institution, offering world-class opportunities in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Established in 2014 by leaders, thinkers, academics, and philanthropists from diverse fields, it operates on a unique model of collective philanthropy, blending the finest governance practices with cutting-edge pedagogy and an internationally reputed faculty.

Today, the University has a community of 3000+ students, and operates 20+ dedicated Centres of Excellence, producing research and interventions for impact in areas such as public health and disease control, energy transition, digitisation of society, and women empowerment, among other areas of public policy. The University stands for principles of inclusivity and diversity, having more than 57% women, 4% international scholars, 100+ specially abled students, and over 47% students on financial aid. A non-profit university established under the Haryana Private Universities Act (2006), it is in Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonipat, Haryana, India.

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