Shillong, Oct 28: Two officials from the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Meteorological Centre in Shillong will join the 46th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica, scheduled to begin next month.
Scientific Assistants Partik Kumar and Dheeraj Chaudhary have been nominated for deputation to the expedition, marking Meghalaya’s connection to India’s continuing scientific research in the polar region.
The Meteorological Centre, Shillong, organised a farewell ceremony for the two officials on October 27, attended by officers and staff of the centre.
The expedition is part of India’s long-running Antarctic research programme, implemented by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The IMD has participated in the Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica since its inception in 1982. It has maintained a continuous presence across subsequent annual expeditions, operating meteorological observatories at India’s Antarctic research stations, Maitri and Bharati.
These observatories collect long-term weather and climate data that contribute to research on polar meteorology and climate change.
