About Us

The Centre for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS) was founded in 1979 at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD). We are comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of meteorologists, oceanographers, applied mathematicians, physicists, chemists, engineers and biologists working in the areas of atmospheric and oceanic sciences.

The major activities of the Centre are Research, Teaching and Continuing Education. The research and teaching activities of the Centre have been oriented towards achieving fundamental understanding of the atmospheric and oceanic processes which have relevance to society.

The Centre has created high performance computing facilities, research laboratories and research infrastructure such as the Atmospheric Observatory that enable high-end computational modelling and state-of-the-art observational programmes. This has attracted talented students and researchers from India and abroad.

Focused research through sponsored and consultancy projects from government agencies and industry has been a thrust at the Centre. A distinguishing feature of our research programmes has been of scientific collaboration with national and international universities and research institutions. These collaborations have been vigorously pursued through exchange visits of scientists, data, information and training facilities.

The Ph.D. and M. Tech. programmes contribute to producing a workforce in the multi-disciplinary area of atmospheric, oceanic and environmental sciences. These programmes attract bright and talented students from various branches of science and engineering. The Centre offers courses at the postgraduate level for the Ph. D. and M. Tech. programmes as well as courses at the undergraduate level available as open electives and towards a Minor Area specialization as part of the B. Tech. degree. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) supports our PhD and MTech programmes through assistantships to students as part of an MoU.

The Centre also organizes continuing education programmes such as short-term courses, SERC Schools, oceanography training programmes, IOC/ UNESCO sponsored training programme in coastal management, training programme for teachers/ lecturers (UPROBE), training to new pollution board recruits, and other quality improvement programmes in areas of current interest.

Our faculty have been the recipients of numerous awards, chairs, and fellowships. Significant among them are: Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Prize; Fellow, Indian National Science Academy; Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences; Fellow, National Academy of Sciences; Fellow, Indian Academy of Engineering; Fellow, India Meteorological Society; Fellow, Indian Institute of Environmental Engineers; Meghnad Saha Award in Theoretical Sciences, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Senior Associate, Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste; Young Scientist Award, INSA; Mausam Award; Prof. M.G. Deshpande Award; Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award; Nawab Zain Yar Jung Bahadur Memorial Medal (Institution of Engineers, India) and Sofia Kovalevkaiya Chair, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. Faculty members are active in national and international expert panels and as editors and editorial board members of several prestigious journals. Our alumni have made significant contributions to the atmospheric and ocean sciences in India and abroad in fields of education, research, industry and government.