Fri Mar 07 07:51:47 UTC 2025: ## Congress Raises Alarm Over Potential NOAA Downsizing and Impact on India’s Monsoon Forecasting
**New Delhi, March 7, 2025** – The Indian National Congress has voiced concerns over reports of planned downsizing at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), highlighting the potential negative impact on India’s monsoon prediction capabilities.
Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh, in a social media post, stated that India needs to significantly bolster its own earth science research capacity in response to this development. He cited a news report suggesting that reduced NOAA data collection could hinder accurate monsoon forecasting.
Ramesh criticized the Modi government, suggesting that its prioritization of a trade deal with the US, in the face of tariff threats, overshadows the potential consequences of NOAA cuts. He emphasized the NOAA’s crucial role in providing global data – including temperature, salinity, and sea level data – essential for monsoon modelling. He noted that since 2009, the NOAA has supplied approximately 40% of subsurface observations in the Indian Ocean, compared to India’s 11%.
Ramesh concluded that the NOAA’s potential decline is a matter of global concern, impacting climate change monitoring and management worldwide. He stressed the need for India to substantially enhance its own research capabilities to compensate for any reduction in NOAA’s contributions.
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