SSC
India's highest meteorological centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is located in:
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Answer: Option A — Leh, Ladakh
Detailed Solution
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) opened its Meteorological Centre at Leh, in the Union Territory of Ladakh, in January 2020. At a height of about 3,500 metres above sea level, it is the highest meteorological centre in India.
About the Leh Meteorological Centre:
It was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
It provides weather forecasts and warnings for Ladakh, including the Leh and Kargil districts.
It is important for tourism, mountaineering, agriculture, disaster management, aviation and the armed forces, because Ladakh is a cold desert with extreme weather, such as heavy snowfall, cold waves, cloudbursts and flash floods.
Other weather services, such as automatic weather stations and Doppler weather radars, have been set up in the Himalayan region.
About Ladakh:
- It became a Union Territory (without a legislature) on 31 October 2019, after the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir.
- It is India's largest Union Territory by area.
- It has two districts, Leh and Kargil (five new districts were announced in 2024).
- It is a high-altitude cold desert, lying in the rain shadow of the Great Himalayas.
Hanle, in Ladakh, has the Indian Astronomical Observatory (at about 4,500 metres), one of the highest optical observatories in the world. The Hanle Dark Sky Reserve was declared in 2022.
About the IMD:
It was established in 1875. Its headquarters is in New Delhi (it was earlier in Calcutta).
It functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
It issues monsoon forecasts, cyclone warnings and weather forecasts.
It celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2025.
Other high-altitude facts:
- The world's highest post office is at Hikkim, Himachal Pradesh.
- Khardung La, near Leh, is one of the highest motorable passes.
- India's research stations in Antarctica are Maitri and Bharati.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, has an IMD centre but at a lower altitude.
- ✗Gangtok, Sikkim, also has an IMD centre at a lower altitude.
- ✗Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, is lower than Leh.
Quick tip
Remember: highest IMD meteorological centre = Leh, Ladakh (about 3,500 m; opened January 2020); IMD founded 1875 (HQ New Delhi; Ministry of Earth Sciences); Hanle = high-altitude observatory and dark sky reserve.
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This question tests your understanding of Atmosphere, Weather & Climate, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
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