KJ Ramesh will be the new Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), replacing Laxman Singh Rathore.
Ramesh, who is currently serving as an advisor in the Ministry of Earth Science, is product of IIT Delhi and has served in various capacities in the Department of Science and Technology.
After the 1999 super-cyclone, that hit eastern coast of the country, he was on deputation in Andhra Pradesh, where he set up the Disaster Mitigation for floods and cyclone.
"Ramesh's name was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Appointments and he will be the next DG of the IMD," M Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences said.
Rathore, an officer from the Indian Meteorological Service (IMS), will retire this month end. During his tenure, the IMD saw very precise prediction of cyclones HudHud and Phailin, forecasting of heatwave and nowcasts. He is also credited to initiate the special agro-meteorological service for the farmers.
The IMD is nearly 141-year-old organisation and plays a pivotal role in predicting weather forecasts like monsoon.
