27/05/2026
Central University of Jammu organized International Conference ‘Climate Samvaad 2026’ and Inks MoU for Bharat Climate Observation Network Site in Collaboration with IITM Pune
Jammu, : Under the dynamic leadership of Honorable Vice Chancellor Prof. Sanjeev Jain, and with the blessings and unwavering support of Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh Ji, the Central University of Jammu (CUJammu), in collaboration with Tribhuvan University, Nepal, organized the three-day international conference, “CLIMATE SAMVAAD 2026: A Stride Towards Climate Resilient Society,” from 25th – 27th May, 2026. The inaugural sessions featured a gathering of eminent environmental and academic dignitaries where Prof. Yashwant Singh, Registrar, CUJammu, warmly welcomed the national and international delegates, setting an optimistic tone for the collaborative future. Chief Guest Prof. Deepak Aryal, Former Vice Chancellor, Tribhuvan University, Nepal delivered a compelling address highlighting the shared climate vulnerabilities across the borders of India and Nepal. Guest of Honor Dr. Sudesh Yadav (Director, CSIR-IHBT, Palampur) and Sh. Vasu Yadav, IFS (Chairman, JKPCC) emphasized the urgent need to operationalize scientific data into practice.
The landmark event was further distinguished by a historic, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Central University of Jammu and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune (under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India) to advance collaborative efforts in climate and atmospheric sciences. This strategic partnership will lead to establishment of a premier long-term Climate Observation Site under the Bharat Climate Observation Network (BCON) program at CUJammu’s Himalayan High Altitude Atmospheric and Climate Research (H2A2CR) Centre, located at an altitude of approximately 2250m amsl in Village Mandlote, District Udhampur, J&K. The agreement was signed by Dr. A. Suryachandra Rao, Director, IITM, Pune, and Prof. Sanjeev Jain, VC, CUJammu, in the presence of senior scientists Dr. Suvarna Fadnavis, Dr. Anoop Mahajan and Dr. Yogesh Tiwari from IITM.
BCON is a national observational initiative conceptualised and implemented by IITM under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), GoI, to develop a long-term, high-precision climate monitoring framework across the country. The network is designed to systematically collect continuous, high-quality measurements of essential climate variables across diverse geographical regions, from coastal and urban areas to remote and high-altitude locations. The integration of the H2A2CR Centre into BCON significantly enhances the network’s coverage in the Himalayan region, which is highly sensitive to climate variability and change.
While signing the MoU, Dr. A Suryachandra Rao expressed immense optimism regarding this MoU, emphasizing its role within the wider framework of national climate resilience. In his presidential address, Prof. Sanjeev Jain, shared his vision of positioning Jammu & Kashmir at the forefront of global climate change mitigation and academic exchange, thanking the administration and leadership for making this collaboration possible.
Dr. Shweta Yadav (Associate Dean, International Affairs & Convener) presented formal Vote of Thanks and expressed deep gratitude to the outstanding gathering for making Climate Samvaad 2026 a great success. She thanked MoES and ANRF for providing financial support to this conference. Dr Yadav as Incharge of H2A2CR Centre welcomed the BCON collaboration with IITM and thanked leaders of both institutes for planning to make H2A2CR Centre as first functional BCON site in India. An incredible galaxy of subject experts, leading scientists, and academicians gathered in this Samvaad to deliver specialized lectures, panel insights, and keynotes. The technical sessions were anchored by high-caliber domain specialists, with inaugural lectures by Prof. Deepak Aryal (Former Vice Chancellor, Tribhuvan University, Nepal), an authority on Himalayan meteorology, who set the scientific benchmark and Dr. Sudesh Yadav (Director, IHBT Palampur), providing deep insights into ecological adaptation and bio-resource management. The roster got further enriched by a distinguished list of speakers including Sh. Amitabh Sinha (Deputy Editor, Indian Express) and Dr Vishnu Pandey, Executive Director, Centre for International Relations, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Technical sessions included Prof. Namrata Sharma, University of Jammu, Dr Sayantan Sarkar, IIT Mandi, Dr Shyamashree Dasgupta, IIT Mandi, Dr Raju Attada, IISER Mohali, Dr Ankit Agarwal, IIT, Roorkee, Dr Hareef Baba from NRSC, Dr Roopam Shukla, IIT Roorkee, Dr Jayachandran V., NARL, Gadanki, Dr Rakesh Atri, University of Jammu, Dr Purushottam K. Garg, GBPHIED, Ladakh. At the end, lead lectures were delivered by Prof. Jayant K Tripathi, JNU and Prof. Som K Sharma, PRL Ahmedabad. The valedictory lecture was delivered by Prof. Sushma Yadav (Chairperson, UGC Steering Committee on LOCF) on Public policy, Institutional governance and Climate resilience in the Indian Himalayan Region. This formidable gathering of minds ensured a multi-dimensional analysis of the climate realities confronting the Himalayan ecosystem.
