Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) declared a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during a ceremony held on October 13, 2026, at Prithvi Bhawan Headquarters in New Delhi.
Under this landmark agreement, all ten premier research institutes under MoES have been recognized as AcSIR Associated Research Institutes (AcSIR-ARIs). The institutional collaboration integrates MoES’s state-of-the-art research facilities and scientific expertise with AcSIR’s flexible academic framework to offer doctoral (PhD) programs across diverse domains of earth system sciences including atmospheric, ocean, and polar sciences.
The MoU, which was executed on August 21, 2026, was signed by Dr. Praveen Kumar D., Scientist-G and Mission Director (Mission Mausam), on behalf of MoES, and Prof. Manoj Kumar Dhar, Director, AcSIR. The official declaration and document exchange were conducted in the presence of the Secretary, MoES, along with senior officials and directors from both organizations.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala underscored the vital role of collaborative research and academic partnerships during an address marking a major national initiative between MoES, the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR).
The collaborative effort bridges MoES and its ten institutions with AcSIR, establishing a unified ecosystem for advanced scientific research and educational capacity building across oceanography, atmospheric sciences, hydrology, and planetary systems.
“I am sure MoES will be a big beneficiary — us, our institutions, our scientists, and the students who are actually engaging with earth sciences,” stated the Secretary, MoES. “We really look forward to working with all institutions and their headquarters. We will ensure that this becomes a great association going forward for the benefit of the entire earth science faculty, science, and technology researchers.”
The joint framework aims to foster interdisciplinary research, streamline resource and infrastructure sharing among national laboratories, and provide upgraded academic opportunities for early-career scientists and students.
Key Highlights of the Partnership
Nationwide network of recognized institutes: All ten MoES institutes are operational as AcSIR-ARIs.
Academics and award of degree: Students selected under AcSIR’s PhD program will conduct research at MoES institutes under the supervision of MoES scientists recognized as AcSIR faculty. AcSIR will award the doctoral degree, explicitly referencing the host institute on the degree certificate.
Operational readiness: All ten institutes are participating in AcSIR’s latest PhD enrolment cycle. Nodal AcSIR Coordinators have been appointed at each institute alongside a Central Coordinator at MoES to streamline academic operations.
Broad spectrum of research domains: The collaboration opens doctoral opportunities in specialized fields of earth system sciences, including weather forecasting and climate services, numerical weather prediction, polar and cryosphere research, ocean observation and marine robotics, deep-sea mining and desalination, seismology and earthquake hazard assessment, coastal processes, marine living resources, and AI/ML applications in earth sciences.
Intellectual Property Rights: IPR generated from research shall ensure crediting the student as inventor, while joint intellectual property being shared mutually.
Picture: Officials from MoES and AcSIR during the MoU signing ceremony at Prithvi Bhavan Headquarters in New Delhi.
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