- Why in news
- On 29 April 2026, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said India's Doppler Weather Radar network has grown from 14 units in 2014 to 50, with 50 more planned under Mission Mausam. He spoke after inaugurating a weather radar Selfie Point at IMD headquarters, New Delhi.
- What it is
- A Doppler Weather Radar sends out microwave pulses and reads the shift in frequency of the signal returned by raindrops or ice. This shows how fast and in which direction a weather system moves. IMD runs the network, and Mission Mausam is the Ministry of Earth Sciences programme to improve weather and climate services.
- Network growth
- Operational DWRs rose from 14 to 50 since 2014, an increase of over 250%.
- Coverage and plan
- The radars cover over 87% of the country, and 50 more are planned under Mission Mausam.
- Working principle
- The radars use the Doppler effect to track the movement and velocity of weather systems.
- Dual-polarization
- Modern IMD radars are dual-polarized. They identify rain, hail and drizzle, improve rainfall estimates and reduce false signals.
- Nowcast
- Nowcast services give highly localised forecasts for the next three hours.
- Mission Mausam aim
- Mission Mausam aims to strengthen weather and climate services.
- Total computing capacity
- The Ministry's total computing capacity is now 21.91 petaflops, including a 1.9 petaflops AI/ML system.
- Landfall error
- The average 24-hour landfall point error fell from 31.9 km (2016-20) to 19.0 km (2021-25). The 48-hour error fell from 61.5 km to 34.4 km.
- Heatwave forecasts
- Heatwave forecasts are now issued 4-5 days ahead, helping heat action plans.
- Phases
- Mission Mausam is a multi-phase programme. The second phase would strengthen observations, high-resolution modelling and AI/ML use.
Don’t confuse with Doppler radar vs conventional radar: Conventional radar shows where precipitation is and how intense. Doppler radar also measures motion toward or away from the radar, so it can detect wind and rotation.
Don’t confuse with Nowcast vs medium-range forecast: Nowcast covers the next few hours (here three) at a local scale. Medium-range forecasts cover several days over larger areas.
Don’t confuse with IITM vs NCMRWF: IITM Pune does research on tropical meteorology and climate. NCMRWF Noida produces medium-range numerical weather forecasts. Both are under MoES, not IMD.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Better early warning of cyclones, thunderstorms and heavy rain reduces loss of life and property.
- Helps aviation safety, agricultural planning and disaster risk reduction.
- Better cyclone, heatwave and rainfall warnings cut loss of life and property.
- High-resolution models and AI/ML aid agriculture, aviation, fisheries and energy planning.
Problems
- Radar gaps remain in hilly and remote regions, since coverage is about 87%, not full.
- Radars need steady maintenance, and warnings must reach the last mile in time.
- Dense observation networks and high-resolution data are needed for local forecasts.
- Forecasts must reach last-mile users in time to act on.
Way forward
- Install the 50 planned radars under Mission Mausam, prioritising vulnerable regions.
- Link radar data to local alert systems such as SMS and apps so warnings trigger action.
- Expand observation networks and integrate AI/ML in forecasting in phase two.
- Link warnings to State and district action plans.
Put in your answer
Cyclone landfall accuracy: The 24-hour landfall error fell from 31.9 km to 19.0 km between 2016-20 and 2021-25.
Heatwave early warning: Forecasts 4-5 days ahead help States and districts apply heat action plans.
- 2015Mains GS2 · Q19Whether Project Mausam has a strategic dimension in foreign policy with neighbours
- 2022Mains GS1 · Q5Meaning of IMD's colour-coded weather warnings for cyclone-prone areas
- 2026Mains GS1 · Q15Role of satellite technologies in climate-smart agriculture and food security
- 2004Prelims Q48What Param Padam, a supercomputer developed by India, is
- 2026Prelims Q84Which statements about the Bharat Forecast System weather model are correct?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements about Mission Mausam of the Ministry of Earth Sciences: 1. The high-performance computing systems ARKA and ARUNIKA were inaugurated at IITM Pune and NCMRWF Noida. 2. ARUNIKA has a higher computing capacity than ARKA. 3. The average 48-hour cyclone landfall point error in 2021-25 was about 61.5 km. 4. The Ministry's total computing capacity after these additions is 21.91 petaflops. 5. A Doppler Weather Radar estimates the speed of a weather system from the shift in frequency of the returned signal. 6. Mission Mausam is a single-phase programme with no extension planned.
Which one of the following is correct?
True or false?
1 of 6
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.ARKA and ARUNIKA, the high-performance computing systems under Mission Mausam, were installed at IITM Pune and NCMRWF Noida.
True. They were inaugurated at IITM Pune and NCMRWF Noida on 26 September 2024.
2.ARUNIKA has a higher computing capacity than ARKA.
False. ARKA has 11.77 petaflops; ARUNIKA has 8.24 petaflops.
3.The Ministry of Earth Sciences' total computing capacity after these additions is 21.91 petaflops.
True. Total capacity is 21.91 petaflops.
4.The average 48-hour cyclone landfall point error in 2021-25 was about 61.5 km.
False. It was 34.4 km in 2021-25; 61.5 km was the 2016-20 figure.
5.Heatwave forecasts are now issued 4-5 days in advance.
True. Heatwave forecasts have a 4-5 day lead time.
6.Mission Mausam is a single-phase programme with no extension planned.
False. It is a multi-phase programme, and a second phase is proposed.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.