Fancy becoming a meteorologist?
Study the wonder that is the sky and predict the weather
STEVE MARTIN, the Hollywood actor, was probably the zaniest weatherman alive in the film "L. A. Story." But his character, Harris K. Telemacher, did not just love his job, he had a good time doing it.
Being a professional weatherman here may not be much fun. But you can be sure that your job touches peoples' lives 365 days of the year, 24x7.
The Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bangalore, Anand L. Koppar, says the job is a fulfilling one but a trifle devoid of glamour. He has been IMD Director for the past 10 years.
Meteorology is the science and study of the earth's atmosphere and its interaction with the earth itself and all forms of life. It seeks to understand and predict, for the benefit of mankind, the behaviour of weather, the climate and the atmosphere in general, from the surfaces of land and sea to the edge of space.
In the West, especially in the United States, meteorology is very `in.' Broadcast meteorology is really hep because the country has a large bouquet of local and national television stations, each of which requires a resident weatherman.
In India, the profession isn't hyped so much but Indian television stations do employ weather presenters. But the data presented on television is usually supplied by the local/regional Met office. Dr. Koppar's office regularly provides briefs and charts to the local networks.
"We don't directly interact with the weather presenters." Moreover, in the West, there are private weather companies. Here, serious job openings exist in the IMD.
Basics
Meteorology, explains Dr. Koppar, is a "pure science subject". "To become one of the staff in the local Met office, you need a B. Sc in any discipline and must pass the Staff Selection Commission examination. Officers need to be either a Ph.D or a M. Sc in Physics, Mathematics and Statistics — the core of Meteorology — and get selected through the Union Public Service Commission examination."
Recruits go through a year of pre-service training at the Central Training Institute at Pune. "The World Meteorological Organisation recognises this institute as the nodal training centre for the Asia-Pacific region," he explains.
Training is again at three levels — elementary, intermediate and advanced. The level you go through depends on your job position. Dr. Koppar used to be more into teaching and training new recruits.
"At the officer-level, you get transferred to the different IMD centres at Pune, Delhi and so on. Staff get transferred at the regional level."
In this field, one can be a researcher, a climatologist or a weather forecaster. "You could work at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune; at the Meteorological department of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT); at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi; or at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore."
History
Meteorology, in India, dates back to 3,000 B.C. Philosophical writings of that time such as the Upanishads are said to contain "serious discussions about the processes of cloud formation and rain and the seasonal cycles caused by the movement of the earth and the sun."
Kautilya's `Arthashastra' contains records of scientific measurements of rainfall and its application to the country's revenue and relief work. Kalidasa's epic `Meghdoot' (7th century AD) is said to mention "the date of onset of the monsoon over central India... "
The IMD is more recent. Set up in 1875, "it is the principal government agency in matters relating to meteorology, seismology and allied subjects." Headed by a Director-General of Meteorology, it is headquartered in New Delhi.
He is assisted by 5 Additional Directors General and 20 Deputy Directors General.
The country has six Regional Meteorological Centres — at Kolkata, Chennai, Guwahati, Mumbai, Nagpur and New Delhi.
Dr. Koppar says salaries are based on Central Government scales and range from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 17,000 and above. One major drawback, though, is that promotions are slow and come after 10-12 years in a particular job position.
Check out www.imd.ernet.in if you're interested.
DIVYA SREEDHARAN
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