The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is implementing and coordinating theNational Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC)as part of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The main objective of NMSKCC is to build human and institutional S&T capacities in climate change and develop strategic knowledge in the key areas of climate change science, adaptation and mitigation.

Various research programmes, projects and developmental activities have been supported under NMSKCC in different sectors, which majorly include the establishment of 18 Centers of Excellence (CoEs), 28 major R&D programmes; seven (7) network programmes and seven (7) capacity-building programmes. In addition, State Climate Change Cells (SCCCs) have been established in 17 States/UTsviz. Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha, Haryana, Gujarat, Bihar, Goa, Jharkhand, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradeshto assist states to take up vulnerability and risk assessment, human capacity building programmes, public awareness programmes and institutional capacity building. These State Climate Change Cells alsoconductstate-specific research and development (R&D) activities as highlighted in their State Action Plans for Climate Change (SAPCC). Recently, DST has included a new thematic area ‘Urban Climate Research and Extreme Events’ for major R&D under NMSKCC.

The Department has published a report entitled ‘Climate Change and Agriculture in India’under NMSKCC in 2016, which covers the impact of climate change on Indian agriculture, initiatives of the Government of India for climate change adaptation in agriculture, major research in this sector and recommendations for adaptation measures. The report is available in the public domain at DST website (https://dst.gov.in/sites/default/files/Report_DST_CC_Agriculture.pdf ).

This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2150127)