Many quacks in glacier science both in India and abroad: Jairam Ramesh

Observing that there are many "quacks" in glacier science both in the country and abroad, environment minister Jairam Ramesh today said India's own programme to study effects of black carbon on global warming would provide a "solid scientific foundation" on the subject.

"There are many quacks in glacier science. There are many international quacks. Some of them have been exposed," the minister said without naming anyone.

Speaking after launching a Plan to study the effect of Black Carbon on global warming here, the minister said, "I hope that this programme would really provide solid scientific foundation for our issues."

"There is complete difference in behaviour of Himalayan glaciers and arctic glaciers which need to be studied and need to establish our own scientific capacity to understand this change," he said.

Ramesh hailed climate scientist J Srinivasan, who heads the study, saying he had made "very very significant intervention" on the impact of black carbon on glaciers.

"It was really a big issue in the international community," Ramesh said.

He, said India need to create "a larger community of scholars, researchers" to study the subjects that affect global warming and climate change.

"We must have the scientific capability, the scientific network. Thats why we have set up the network of Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCA)," Ramesh said.

Ramesh also said India should have a first grade world class journal on climate science.

"Written tradition is alien to Indian scientists in India. We need to get the culture of publication into our scientific community," Ramesh said.

He said India has a five-year research agenda to work on Black Carbon Research Initiative and ministry of environment and forest, ministry of earth sciences, Indian Space Research Space Organisation (ISRO) and Department of Science and Technology are working together.

"16 observatories and 101 research institutions are working and estimated investment of Rs200 Crores will be spent," he said.

"We must use this fund to build the next generation capacity building doctoral programmes, post doctoral programmes, mid career programmes etc. We need to create a larger community of scholars and researchers who will publish ?" scientific details," Ramesh said.

Giving details about the programme, he said the most significant aspect of this programme is the study of aerosol and black carbon which were not studied before.