New Delhi: The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is all set to guide high profile national environmental fellows to conduct research on establishing its own database of scientific knowledge on environment and climate change in the face of controversial figures emerging in this respect.

Scientists from engineering and environment backgrounds are deemed to get Rs.30 lakh annually as grants as the MoEF mulls to award 10 fellowships.

Marking an elevation in the status of research, these fellows would be called 'Prime Minister fellows' as the ministry works to send the proposal seeking PM's approval.

The Ministry forming a global advisory group advising the ministry on issues related to climate and environment change would also nominate a group of environmental scientist experts of Indian origin.

This step of the ministry came at a time when it is at loggerheads with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on issues like melting of glaciers.

A senior official at the ministry said that, "We need our own findings and discoveries for which the fellows would be asked to undertake a high quality research in climate change and environment."

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with the scientist, his organization and the MoEF, unlike other fellowships.

The ministry has, in the meanwhile, started identifying universities across the world from where it can source its global advisory group.