PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPLEMENTATION OF MISSION MAUSAM

1. At a Glance

• Mission Mausam is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) to make India "Weather-ready and Climate-smart" through next-gen observation, modelling and forecasting infrastructure. [1]
• Cabinet-approved on 11 September 2024 with outlay of ₹2,000 crore over two years (2024-26); formally launched by the PM on 14 January 2025. [1][2]
• High-value for Prelims (numbers, HPC names, launch dates) and Mains GS-III (disaster management, S&T, climate resilience). [2]

2. Why in the News

• Recurring Parliament Questions (Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha) on status of implementation, regional roll-out (e.g., North-East, Odisha), and radar network expansion have been answered by MoES through 2025-26, including the latest PIB release dated 23 July 2026 (PRID 2288238) on implementation status. [3][4]

3. Background & Evolution

• 11 September 2024: Union Cabinet approves Mission Mausam, outlay ₹2,000 crore for 2024-26. [1]
• 26 September 2024: PM inaugurates High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems "ARKA" and "ARUNIKA" plus a dedicated AI/ML system, raising MoES total computing capacity to 21.91 petaflops. [1]
• 14 January 2025: Formal launch of Mission Mausam by the Prime Minister. [2]
• Distinct from the earlier "Project Mausam" (Ministry of Culture, 2014), a cultural/maritime heritage initiative connecting Indian Ocean nations — frequently confused with this scheme. [1]

4. Core Static Facts

• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). [2]
• Nature: Central Sector Scheme. [1]
• Outlay: ₹2,000 crore over two years (2024-26). [1]
• Launch date: 14 January 2025, by the Prime Minister. [2]
• Executing agencies: India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF). [2]
• HPC systems: "ARKA" (11.77 petaflops), "ARUNIKA" (8.24 petaflops), plus dedicated AI/ML system (1.9 petaflops); total MoES capacity raised to 21.91 petaflops. [1]
• Core objective: Strengthen Earth System observations for an Earth-System-approach-based early warning system for seamless weather and climate services. [2]

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Scientific/Technological: Deployment of next-generation radars and satellites with advanced payloads; higher-resolution atmospheric observation networks; enhanced numerical weather prediction (NWP) models via new HPC/AI-ML capacity. [1][2]
• Administrative: Implementation split across IMD (observation/forecasting), IITM (modelling research), NCMRWF (medium-range prediction) under MoES; region-specific roll-out queried in Parliament for North-East and Odisha. [2]
• Environmental: Aims to strengthen community resilience against climate change and extreme weather events (cyclones, floods, heatwaves). [1]
• Economic: ₹2,000 crore central outlay; expected downstream economic benefits via better agricultural, aviation, and disaster-preparedness forecasting. [1]
• Governance: Repeated Parliamentary scrutiny (multiple PQs on implementation, regional coverage, progress) signals ongoing accountability mechanism. [3][4]

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 26 Sep 2024: HPC systems ARKA and ARUNIKA inaugurated. [1]
• 14 Jan 2025: Official launch of Mission Mausam by PM. [2]
• Multiple 2025-26 Parliament Questions answered on implementation status, North-East region coverage, Odisha-specific coverage, and radar network expansion. [3][4]
• 23 July 2026: Latest PIB release (PRID 2288238) reaffirming implementation status and mission objectives in response to a Parliament Question. [2]

7. Prelims Hooks

• Mission Mausam launched by PM on 14 January 2025. [2]
• Cabinet approval date: 11 September 2024. [1]
• Outlay: ₹2,000 crore over two years (2024-26). [1]
• Implementing ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences (not MoEFCC). [2]
• HPC systems named ARKA (11.77 PF) and ARUNIKA (8.24 PF). [1]
• Dedicated AI/ML computing system: 1.9 petaflops. [1]
• Total MoES computing capacity after upgrade: 21.91 petaflops. [1]
• Executing agencies: IMD, IITM, NCMRWF. [2]
• Scheme type: Central Sector Scheme. [1]
• Not to be confused with "Project Mausam" (2014, Ministry of Culture) — an Indian Ocean cultural-connectivity initiative. [1]
• Mission Mausam's overarching goal: "Weather-ready and Climate-smart" Bharat. [2]

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-III: Science & Technology — indigenous technology development; Disaster Management — early warning systems.
• GS-II: Governance — accountability via Parliamentary questions on scheme implementation.
• Possible question stems:
• "Discuss the objectives of Mission Mausam and assess its significance for India's disaster preparedness." (GS-III)
• "Examine how enhanced High-Performance Computing capacity strengthens India's weather and climate forecasting capabilities." (GS-III)
• "Distinguish between Mission Mausam and Project Mausam, highlighting their respective objectives." (GS-I/II)

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• India Meteorological Department (IMD) — key executing agency for Mission Mausam.
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — early warning dissemination linkage.
• Project Mausam (2014) — commonly confused predecessor-sounding scheme under Ministry of Culture.
• PARAM/HPC systems in India — broader context of India's supercomputing push.
• Climate Change and India's NDCs — climate resilience linkage.
• Digital India / AI Mission — AI/ML computing component overlaps with national AI strategy.
• Cyclone/flood early warning systems — practical application of Mission Mausam outputs.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Confusing Mission Mausam (MoES, 2024-25, weather/climate tech) with Project Mausam (Ministry of Culture, 2014, Indian Ocean cultural network).
• Mixing up Cabinet approval date (11 Sep 2024) with the formal launch date (14 Jan 2025).
• Misattributing implementing ministry as MoEFCC instead of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Confusing HPC system names ARKA/ARUNIKA (Mission Mausam, 2024) with earlier MoES supercomputers like "Mihir" or "Pratyush".
• Assuming outlay is a permanent annual budget rather than a two-year (2024-26), ₹2,000 crore allocation.