Endowment for Award on Adaptation to Climate Change
The Ramesh and Tara Mody Endowment on Climate Change at the Centre for Development Studies represents a significant initiative to foreground one of the most urgent yet under-addressed challenges facing India today: adaptation to climate change. Established through a Memorandum of Understanding between Dr Ashoka Mody—a distinguished alumnus and former Research Associate of CDS—and the Institute, the Endowment reflects their intellectual commitment to this critical development task and the continuity through institutional association.
Rationale
Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract concern. The year 2024 was the hottest on record, and 2025 was almost as hot. Across India, its effects are disturbingly visible—melting Himalayan glaciers, intensifying heatwaves, coastal erosion in Kerala, and the rising frequency of cyclones in the Arabian Sea.
While much of the global and national discourse has focused on mitigation—particularly reducing carbon emissions — the urgent and palpable need for adaptation to the intensifying climate damage remains relatively neglected. Unlike mitigation, which deals with a narrow set of (admittedly hard) technical and policy choices, adaptation requires a more complex and multidimensional understanding and, hence, a whole range of imaginative investigations.
In India, the consequences of climate change are compounded by environmental degradation caused by the country’s development choices. The list is long. Air pollution—caused by vehicular traffic and coal-burning power-plants—is becoming more rather than less severe in major cities, and it amplifies the health risks of extreme heat. Infrastructure expansion in ecologically fragile zones—such as the Himalayan region—has increased susceptibility to landslides and other climate-induced disasters. Alterations of river ecosystems—riverfront development and diversion of rivers—further undermine natural resilience. Coastal highways and ports hasten coastal erosion.
These problems disproportionately hurt the vulnerable, such as workers in India’s vast informal sector and especially women and marginalised communities.
Recognising these intersecting challenges, the Endowment seeks to highlight practical, grounded, and socially sensitive approaches to climate adaptation, while also encouraging a deeper engagement with issues of climate justice.
Structure of the Endowment
The Endowment has been established with an initial corpus of ₹40 lakh. The fund is managed by CDS with a strong emphasis on financial prudence and transparency. Investments are restricted to secure instruments such as bank fixed deposits, Government of India securities, and State Development Loans. The objective is to preserve the real value of the corpus while generating a stable annual income to support the Endowment’s activities.
The annual income is allocated across three broad purposes:
• An Award to recognise outstanding contributions to climate change research or journalism: (approximately 70%);
• Corpus Growth to maintain and gradually increase the real value of the Endowment (approximately 10%);
• Honoraria for external experts on the evaluation panel (approximately 20%).
The Annual Prize
At the heart of the Endowment is the Ramesh and Tara Mody Annual Prize for Outstanding Research or Journalism on Climate Change. The Prize is designed to encourage high-quality work that advances understanding, informs public policy, and strengthens public engagement on climate-related issues.
The Prize is awarded annually for work published in the preceding calendar year and carries a target value of approximately ₹1.75 lakh (subject to variation depending on investment returns). Eligible contributions include peer-reviewed academic research, policy analyses, and high-quality journalistic work across print, broadcast, and digital media.
Preference will be given to works that focus on India, though comparative international studies relevant to the region may also be considered. Particular emphasis is placed on:
• Documentation of ongoing climate impacts;
• Identification of successful adaptation strategies with potential for wider application; and
• Analysis that highlights the impact on women and socially disadvantaged groups of citizens.
• Clarity of exposition that engages with a broad cross-section of civil society.
Nomination and Submission Process
Nominations may be invited by CDS or submitted directly by eligible individuals or institutions. Each nomination must include: (i) A copy of the published work (or verified digital access); (ii) A note (not exceeding 1,000 words) outlining its significance, contribution, and impact; and (iii) A brief biographical note of the author(s) with publication details. (iv) Nominations shall be submitted to the Director, CDS by the date specified in the annual call for nominations.
Selection and Evaluation
The Prize is awarded by a five-member Selection Committee chaired by the Director of CDS. The Committee includes a senior CDS faculty member, two distinguished external experts (including a senior journalist), and a representative of the Mody family. Members serve for a fixed term and follow a transparent and rigorous evaluation process.
Submissions are assessed across multiple criteria, including originality, analytical rigour, policy relevance, clarity of communication, societal impact, and adherence to ethical standards. The emphasis is not only on scholarly or investigative depth but also on the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively to a broad audience.
Engagement and Dissemination
The Prize is announced each year on World Environment Day (5 June) and presented on the CDS Foundation Day. In addition to receiving the award, the recipient is invited to deliver a public lecture at CDS, fostering dialogue among researchers, students, policymakers, and the wider public.
Through these activities, the Endowment aims to build a sustained intellectual and policy conversation around climate adaptation—an area that is likely to define Indian and global development trajectories in the coming decades.