India invites Pakistan, Bangladesh for 'undivided India' event
What's the story
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) will celebrate its 150th anniversary this year.
To mark the event, the Indian government has invited countries that were part of undivided India when the IMD was established in 1875.
These countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Representatives from the Middle East and Southwest Asia have also been invited to join the celebrations.
Participation update
Pakistan confirms participation in IMD's 150th anniversary
While Pakistan has confirmed its participation in the celebrations, a response from Bangladesh is still awaited, PTI reported.
The anniversary events will include a range of activities like marathons, exhibitions, workshops and olympiads.
A senior IMD official said: "We wanted officials from all countries that were part of undivided India during IMD's establishment to be part of the celebrations."
Anniversary highlights
Special commemorative coin and tableau for IMD's anniversary
To commemorate the occasion, the Finance Ministry has also approved a special ₹150 commemorative coin.
Further, the IMD will also present its first-ever tableau during the Republic Day parade to highlight its legacy and contributions to meteorology.
The IMD was established after the devastating Calcutta cyclone of 1864 and subsequent monsoon failures which resulted in famines in Bengal.
IMD evolution
IMD's journey from Calcutta to becoming a global leader
Initially headquartered in Calcutta, the IMD shifted base to Shimla in 1905, Pune in 1928 and finally New Delhi in 1944.
Over the years, it has become a global leader in meteorological research and forecasting.
In its early years, the IMD used telegrams for weather warnings but later adopted advanced technologies.
It pioneered the use of electronic computers for meteorological research and introduced India's first message-switching computer for global data exchange.