MINISTER OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES
(SHRI VILASRAO DESHMUKH)
a) – f) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN REPLY TO (A) TO (F)
OF STARRED QUESTION No. 331 REGARDING “INFRASTRUCTURE IN METEOROLOGICAL
DEPARTMENT†TO BE ANSWERED ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011.
(a) No exclusive scheme has been launched Madam.However, the
Flexible Complementing Scheme (FCS) has been implemented for the
scientific services including those engaged in weather research and
forecasting.
FCS implementation was based on the Third Central Pay Commission
Recommendations of 1973 that allows award of promotion from one grade
to another after a prescribed period of service for scientists of
proven merit and ability irrespective of the availability of any
vacancy. The FCS provisions have been amended from time to time by
the Government following the recommendations of the subsequent pay
commissions. Recently, Government has modified FCS for Scientists
based on the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission in
September, 2010.
However, anomalies, what so ever existed, in the implementation of
the FCS across the institutions of the Earth System Science
Organization (ESSO) of the Ministry have been removed and are now
made totally uniform.
(b) Does not arise.
(c) No Madam. However, Government feels that the upgradation
of the observational, high end computing, communication,
forecast/warning dissemination infrastructure should become a
continuous process by which the state-of-the-art science and
technology tools can be made accessible to the scientists engaged
in weather research and forecasting for enhancing the service quality.
During the XI plan, phase-I of the modernization programme
of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is implemented by the
Government with an allocated grant of Rs. 920crores.
(d) Does not arise.
(e) With the commissioning of the state-of-the-art observing,
monitoring/early warning and data visualization/information processing
and communication technologies under the Phase-I of the modernization
of IMD, several manual operations have been fully automated. All the
manpower, that was engaged earlier for such manual operations, have
been provided due orientation, training and skill development
opportunities not only to attain appropriate operating skills of
advanced technological platforms but also contribute efficiently
to the quality enhancement through customization of sector specific
warning and forecasting services.
(f) Despite the above, as per the needs of the various R & D
initiatives, higher level training opportunities are being provided
appropriately to scientists of ESSO under various bilateral and
multi-lateral technical cooperation arrangements.
