15-Dec-2022: National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC)

The Government of India stands committed to combat the global challenge of climate change. India has updated its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in August 2022.  India has also prepared and submitted a separate framework document titled ‘India’s Long-term Low Carbon Development Strategy’ to the secretariat of the UNFCCC in November 2022 with the vision to reach net-zero by 2070. The Government is implementing many schemes and programs including the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which comprises of missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, health and strategic knowledge for climate change.

The National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC), implemented by the Department of Science and Technology, under the NAPCC promotes research, knowledge generation and capacity building relating to climate science. The mission has been revised to align its objectives and priorities with the commitments of the country.

There are focused research and development (R&D) programmes in climate change science and adaptation which are carried out through twelve Centres of Excellence (CoE), twenty three major R & D programmes; seven Network Programmes and seven capacity building programmes. Thirteen Climate Change centers/ cells have been set up in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana to carry activities that connect their state action plans on climate change with NMSKCC priorities of action.