Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala Assumes Charge as MoES Secretary

Noted oceanographer and scientist Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala has taken charge as the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) of the Government of India. His predecessor is Dr N. Kalaiselvi, who was taking care of the ministry in an additional charge capacity while the previous occupant of the post was Dr M. Ravichandran. The new secretary will take charge at a time when India’s earth and ocean sciences field is growing rapidly and India is scaling up the Deep Ocean Mission, climate modeling, disaster readiness, and multi-hazard early warning system that would safeguard the vulnerable coastal communities.

Who Is Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala?

Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala is a noted oceanographer and distinguished scientist with over three decades of experience in such areas as remote sensing, satellite oceanography, coastal hazard mitigation, and disaster management.

The scientific career of Dr Tummala includes both national and international leadership in such areas as ocean information services and early warning systems.

His experience is likely to help the Ministry of Earth Sciences in its operations in areas such as oceanography, meteorology, climate studies, polar studies, and disaster management.

Dr. Tummala’s Contribution in the Tsunami Early Warning System in India

Another major contribution of Dr Tummala came after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

In fact, he was the Project Manager of India’s advanced Tsunami Early Warning System at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).

The system went on to contribute towards making India an important participant in regional tsunami preparedness as well as ocean warning services.

His efforts also helped INCOIS gain the designation of Tsunami Service Provider globally.

Director at INCOIS

Dr. Tummala is the Director of ESSO-INCOIS, Hyderabad, from August 2020 onwards.

Some of the ocean information and advisory services provided by INCOIS under him include,

• PFZ Advisories
• Coral Reef Bleaching Alert systems
• Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Mapping
• Ocean observation and Information Services

These are scientific information services which are useful for fishermen, coastal communities, disaster management agencies, and policymakers.

Awards and Academic Achievements

Professor Tummala has won national awards for his contributions in the field of geosciences and disaster mitigation.

In 2010, he was bestowed the award of National Geoscience Award by the Ministry of Mines for his contribution towards India’s early tsunami warning system.

The Indian National Geospatial Award in 2008 from the Indian Society of Remote Sensing is another national award which he has won for his contribution involving geospatial technology, disaster mitigation and marine resource mapping.

Academically, he has authored over 100 papers in various international scientific journals.