Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala Appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences

Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala has been appointed as the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) by the Government of India. This appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and is an important move in boosting India’s abilities in the areas of oceanography, climate science, meteorology, disaster management, and deep-sea studies. Dr. Tummala has over 30 years of great experience in satellite oceanography and tsunami warning systems.

Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala New Secretary of MoES

As per the official letter from the Government of India, the appointment of Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala as Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

• Tenure Duration: Two years from the day of taking charge or until further orders, whichever happens earlier.

Before this appointment, Dr. Tummala served as the,

• Head, Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS) Secretariat
• UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), Perth, Australia

Who Is Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala?

Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala is a globally known oceanographer, scientist, and science administrator with extensive experience of over 30 years in the areas like,

• Satellite Oceanography
• Remote Sensing
• Coastal Hazard Management
• Ocean Observation Systems
• Climate Services
• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Marine Resource Assessment.

He has been instrumental in improving the capability of the ocean research in India and enhancing its disaster preparedness.

Major Leadership Roles

Director of UNESCO’s Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System

In his capacity as the director of ICG/IOTWMS Secretariat under UNESCO-IOC, Dr. Tummala has played the key role for undertaking tsunami preparedness operation in 28 countries which are members of the Indian Ocean.

Director , ESSO-INCOIS

Dr Tummala has been appointed as Director of Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in the city of Hyderabad since August 2020.

Pioneer of Tsunami Warning System in India

Dr Tummala was instrumental in the constructing the Tsunami Early Warning Centre at INCOIS after the eruption of the Indian Ocean Tsunami in the year 2004.

Currently, he is the Project Manager of this exceptional centre.

The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre is currently one of the most advanced warning systems in the world.

The Tsunami Early Warning Centre serves as the Tsunami Service Provider (TSP) for Indian Ocean states.

It plays a central role in the disaster management system.

Key Awards and Recognitions

Dr. Tummala has been the recipient of numerous noteworthy awards owing to his efforts in the field of Earth sciences.

• National Geoscience Award (2010)
• Indian National Geospatial Award (2008)

Academic Contributions

• More than 100 papers published in peer-reviewed journals.
• Held the position of the Vice chair, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO.
• World-renowned expert in ocean science and disaster management resilience.