About the Ministry

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), under the Government of India, is mandated to provide services for weather, climate, ocean and coastal state, hydrology, seismology, and natural hazards; to explore and harness marine living and non-living resources in a sustainable manner for the country and to explore the three poles of the Earth (Arctic, Antarctic and Himalayas).

MoES was formerly the Department of Ocean Development (DOD), which was created in July 1981 as a part of the Cabinet Secretariat directly under the charge of the Prime Minister of India. It came into existence as a separate department in March 1982. The erstwhile DOD functioned as a nodal institution for organizing, coordinating and promoting ocean development activities in the country. The Government of India notified DOD as the Ministry of Ocean Development in February 2006.

In July 2006, the Ministry of Ocean Development was reorganized by the Government of India Vide Presidential notification into the new Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). This brought the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida under the purview of MoES administration. The Government also approved the setting up of Earth Commission on the pattern of Space Commission (government department responsible for administration of the Indian space program) and Atomic Energy Commission (governing body of the Department of Atomic Energy).