Careers in Meteorology

Meteorologists, also known as atmospheric scientists, study the atmosphere and its characteristics. As a meteorologist, one should be able to make use of various equipments such as rain gauge, anemometer, thermometer, barometer, radiosondes, remote sensing instruments (Radar, Lidar, and satellites etc), in order to measure temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed, rainfall and air quality. The importance of meteorologists has increased due to pollution in the environment, global warming and deforestation. Therefore, many government and private meteorological organizations are hiring skilled meteorologists, who can provide near-to-accuracy predictions regarding the climatic conditions. To provide efficient and talented meteorologists to the organizations, several meteorological and technical institutes in India are imparting courses in meteorology.

Course Details
A number of colleges and universities in India are now conducting courses in meteorology. The colleges offer these programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The eligibility criterion for UG courses is a pass in 10+2 examination with science subjects (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), from any recognized state/national Board. For the PG program, one must have passed in B.Sc, from any recognized University.

Career Prospects
After pursuing course in meteorology, one can specialize in fields such as weather forecasting, aviation meteorology, agricultural meteorology, hydrometeorology, nuclear meteorology and maritime meteorology. In the present time, meteorological department, environment regulatory bodies and research institutes are hiring meteorologists.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
Many institutes and universities in India have included meteorology as a part of their curriculum. Some of the prominent institutes in India are Shivaji University (Kolhapur), Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), Andhra University (Visakhapatnam), IIT Kharagpur, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences.

Remuneration
The remuneration for meteorologist may vary according to the person's work experience in the field. Beginners in this field can earn around Rs 10000 - Rs15000 per month. On the other hand, experience can fetch more money, say, a salary as high as Rs 50000 per month.