The Mega Science Vision-2035 report, prepared by the Indian climate research community and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, highlights India’s critical dependence on imported scientific instruments. Submitted to the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA), the roadmap warns that relying on foreign-made sensors without regular recalibration compromises data credibility. Furthermore, current L1 procurement rules via the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) often prioritize low-cost vendors over the specialized technical capacity required for high-precision climate research.
Core Objectives and Strategic Framework
- Indigenous Manufacturing: The roadmap advocates for domestic production lines for climate sensors, deep-ocean buoys, and laboratory hardware to end reliance on Western calibration.
- Indigenous Earth System Model (ESM): Development of high-resolution, AI/ML-driven climate models tailored to tropical realities, moving away from US/European baseline metrics.
- Methodological Reforms: Implementation of a regulatory mechanism for the “polluter pays” principle and a framework to calculate the Social Cost of Carbon.
- Integration: Linking environmental-surveillance infrastructure with public health systems to monitor climate-sensitive diseases.
The Eight Priority Mega Projects
The roadmap proposes eight projects to be executed in three operational blocks by 2035, with budgets ranging from ₹795 crore to ₹1,359 crore:
- Observational Networks: Expanding automated weather tracking and ocean buoys.
- Remote Sensing: Deploying dedicated satellites for cloud dynamics and GHG tracking.
- Thematic Campaigns: Mapping aerosols, urban heat islands, and cryosphere feedback.
- Net-Zero Research: Developing Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- MSV-2035 Domains: Covers six areas: High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Accelerator Science, Climate Research, and Environmental Science.
- Albedo Effect: The measure of solar radiation reflected by a surface. Large-scale solar farms can reduce local surface albedo, potentially causing micro-climate warming.
- Renewable Target: India aims for 500 GW of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030; it crossed the 50% non-fossil capacity milestone in 2025.