MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (ASHWANI KUMAR)
(a) All 12 Himalayan States viz., Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal,
Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizorum and Tripura have been enrolled
into National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE). The States are in the process of
preparing State Action Plans. Out of 12 Himalayan States, 9 have submitted draft State Action Plans.
These are: Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizorum and
Tripura.
(b) No proposal for building human/knowledge capabilities or institutional capacities has been
received by the Mission from the Himalayan States. However, Government is considering to initiate pro-
active action on building human and institutional capacities for research in the areas related to
Himalayan ecosystem.
(c) Under the mission, institutions are proposed to be supported for recruiting people. A Centre
for Himalayan Glaciology has been set up as part of Wadia Institute for Himalayan Geology, Dehradun
which recruited 14 people.
(d) To fast tracking the mechanism for building human and institutional capacities, several actions
that include setting up of an Indo-Swiss Joint Working Group on capacity building in glaciology and
related areas and action for setting up of a National Centre for Himalayan Glaciology have been initiated.
